Kiel Named SEC Freshman of the Week

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt women’s golfer Natasha Kiel has been named SEC Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office Thursday.

Kiel, a native of New Hope, Pennsylvania, helped the Commodores kick off the spring season with a second-place finish at the FAU Paradise Invitational with a 26-under-par total, the third lowest 54-hole team score in program history.

The newcomer is coming off a successful performance in Boca Raton, Florida, where she made her first start on the road with a career-low 208 (-8) which tied her for the 12th lowest 54-hole score in program history. In only her second career start, Kiel earned her first career top-five finish, tying for fifth overall with teammate and senior standout Auston Kim. She closed out the tournament with a career-low round of 67 (-5).

Kiel and the Commodores are back in action at the end of the month where they will take center stage at the highly-anticipated Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (Feb. 28-March 2) held at the Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Hosted by multi-platinum country artist and PXG ambassador Darius Rucker, the event marks the first all-women’s regular season collegiate golf tournament to be presented live on the GOLF Channel.