Leona Maguire named ACC Women's

Golf Scholar-Athlete of Year

NEWS RELEASE FROM DUKE UNIVERSITY

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – Duke junior Leona Maguire was named the ACC Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year Monday, while a total of five Blue Devils garnered All-ACC Academic Team recognition as announced by ACC Commissioner John Swofford. 

 

Along with Maguire (pictured left with the Women's British Amateur Championship Trophy she won a week or two ago), on the All-ACC Academic Team was senior Sandy Choi, junior Gurbani Singh, sophomore Virginia Elena Carta and freshman Ana Belac.  Duke and Florida State led all schools with five selections, while Miami had four honorees. 

 

Duke has now featured seven of the 10 ACC Scholar-Athletes of the Year since the league started presenting the awards in 2008 – Celine Boutier (2015), Lindy Duncan (2013, 2012), Alison Whitaker (2010) and Amanda Blumenherst (2008, 2009). 

 

The 2016-17 PING Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) and ANNIKA Award National Player of the Year, Maguire turned in a 70.29 stroke average to lead the nation and was the second-lowest in NCAA history.  She won the WGCA Player of the Year award for the second time in three years to become just the fifth collegiate golfer to earn the prestigious award multiple times. Maguire is also the first golfer to win the ANNIKA Award on multiple occasions. 

 

A three-time First Team All-America, Maguire won the ACC Individual Title this past spring for the second time in three years.  Maguire, who hails from Cavan, Ireland, also earned medalist honors at the Northrop Grumman Challenge and the LSU Tiger Golf Classic, while finishing no lower than sixth all season. 

 

Maguire, who is pursuing a degree in Psychology, has been named to the Dean’s List at the end of five semesters and is a three-time women’s golf All-ACC Academic Team member.

 

Earning All-ACC Academic Team honors for the fourth straight year, Choi collected a 74.25 stroke average on the season.  A product of Seoul, South Korea, Choi earned All-ACC accolades for the third consecutive year, while collecting three top-five finishes on the season.  Choi turned in a season-best tied for fourth placement at the ACC Championship with rounds of 71, 73 and 71 for a one-under-par, 215. 

 

Singh, a junior from New Delhi, India, was an All-ACC selection in 2016-17, after totaling a career-best 72.81 stroke average with three top 10 and five top 20 finishes.  She tied for 17th at the ACC Championship and registered a tied sixth placement at both the Tar Heel Invitational and Darius Rucker Intercollegiate.  Singh was selected to the All-ACC Academic Team for the third straight year. 

 

 

Carta, the 2016 NCAA Individual Champion, is coming off a season where she totaled a 73.39 stroke average to go along with one top five, two top 10 and six top 20 finishes.  She notched a season-best second place finish at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic where she carded rounds of 73, 67 and 70 for a six-under-par ledger.  Carta earned All-ACC accolades as a sophomore with the Blue Devils.

 

Belac, who is from Portoroz, Slovenia, totaled a 73.82 stroke average as a freshman to go along with three top 10 and five top 20 finishes.  Her tied fourth placement at the NCAA Albuquerque Regional, which propelled Duke to a second place finish, was a season best.  

 

The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award was established in September 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the award must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their career as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.

 

To be eligible for consideration for the All-ACC Academic team, a student-athlete, regardless of classification, must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during her academic career.

 

The 2017 All-ACC Academic Women’s Golf team is as follows:

 

Delfina Acosta, Sr., Miami      Studio Art

Emma Albrecht, So., Notre Dame  Science & Business

Ana Belac, Fr., Duke    Undeclared

Elizabeth Bose, So., Virginia Tech      Clinical Neuroscience and Biochemistry

Virginia Elena Carta, So., Duke Environmental Sciences and Policy

Olivia Cason, So., Louisville   Finance

Matilda Castren, Sr., Florida State     International Affairs

Sandy Choi, Sr, Duke    Psychology

Leslie Cloots, Sr., North Carolina      Business Administration

Amanda Doherty, Fr., Florida State      Exploratory

Renate Grimstad, Fr., Miami     Economics

Lois Kaye Go, Fr., Boston College       Undeclared

Lydia Gumm, Sr., Florida State  Sport Management

Lexi Harkins, Jr., North Carolina       Mathematics

Lauren Hartlage, Fr., Louisville        Finance

Leona Maguire, Jr., Duke        Psychology

Marissa Messana, Jr., Clemson   Communications

Kim Metraux, Jr., Florida State Management

Morgane Metraux, Jr., Florida State     Management

Filippa Moerk, Fr., Miami       Business

Bryana Nguyen, Jr., North Carolina      Prof Minor

Anna Redding, So., Virginia     Undeclared

Sierra Sims, Sr., Wake Forest   Economics

Gurbani Singh, Jr., Duke        Public Policy

Ana Paula Valdes, Fr., Clemson  Communications

Dewi Weber, So., Miami  Communications and Advertising and Motion Picture Production

 

ACC Women’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year:

2017    Leona Maguire, Duke

2016    Daniella Darquea, Miami

2015    Celine Boutier, Duke

2014    Brittany Marchand, NC State

2013    Lindy Duncan, Duke

2012    Lindy Duncan, Duke

2011    Natalie Sheary, Wake Forest

2010    Alison Whitaker, Duke

2009    Amanda Blumenherst, Duke

2008    Amanda Blumenherst, Duke