By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Four members of the Tennessee Tech women's golf team were recognized as All-American Scholars by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Monday morning.
Senior Reagan Stuke, junior Sydney Branson, sophomore Chloe Griffith, and freshman Kailey Lane each earned the honor, making it 11 straight years that the Golden Eagle women's golf team has placed at least one student-athlete on the WGCA's All-American Scholar Team. The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics.
To be nominated for WGCA All-American Scholar awards, student-athletes must have an overall GPA of 3.50 or higher for their entire collegiate career and have competed in 50% of the team's competitions for the school year nominated.
"I am always encouraged to see how seriously our players take their academics and athletics here at Tennessee Tech," head coach Amanda Smith expressed. "At times, it can be difficult to balance them both, but these young women are able to use their resources and grit wisely to tackle it all. I'm very proud of each of them and the effort they put into not only bettering themselves, but this program as a whole."
The four Golden Eagles were among a group of 14 from the Ohio Valley Conference included in the 1,499 players chosen throughout every NCAA Division, as well as NAIA schools.
A Delafield, Wis. native, Stuke earned the honor for the third straight year after competing in 28 of the team's 31 rounds this season. The Golden Eagle veteran finished work on her bachelor's degree in exercise science and physical wellness with a concentration in fitness and wellness, as well as minors in both science and health and wellness, all while boasting a 3.73 GPA along the way.
For the first time in her career, Branson represented the purple and gold as a recipient of the honor. The Knoxville native took part in 27 of the team's 31 rounds while sporting a 3.84 GPA and continuing to pursue her bachelor's degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice, a minor in accounting and cyber crime, and another minor in law and society.
Repeating with the honor for the second time in her career was Griffith, who competed in all 31 rounds for the Tech crew while breaking her own single-season program record with a scoring average of 75.35. She continued to make progress on her bachelor's degree in marketing and minors in social science and international business while turning in a 3.60 GPA.
Rounding out the group with her first career honor was Lane Griffith, who participated in all 31 rounds for the Golden Eagles while ranking third on the team with a 77.87 scoring average. She began work on a pair of bachelor's degrees, one in biology with a concentration in health sciences, and another in human ecology, with a concentration in nutrition and dietetics.
About the Women's Golf Coaches Association
The Women's Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women's collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 650 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting, and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.
Photos by Jahmil Taylor and Michael Wade
