May 4, 2012
WG Selected to Central Regional | NCAA Championships Coming to Franklin
Vanderbilt senior Marina Alex has been named the 2012 SEC Player of the Year, her second player-of-the-year honor in her four-year career, while junior Lauren Stratton was named to the All-SEC First Team, and Kendall Martindale was honored on the All-Freshman squad, in an announcement made Friday by the SEC Office in Birmingham.
The ballots were compiled by the twelve SEC women’s golf coaches, with coaches not allowed to vote for their own players.
Alex, the 2010 SEC Player of the Year and SEC Championship medalist that season, and former Georgia standout Vicki Goetze are the only two SEC women’s golfers to claim the honor twice. Alex finished in the top five in four events this year, including a second-place finish at the SEC Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., and also had three top fives at the Stanford Intercollegiate (4th), the LSU Golf Classic (5th), and the Vanderbilt/Texas Dual (1st), while also registering two other top ten finishes (Cougar Classic, t-9th; Central District Invitational, t-6th). For the season, Alex has a 72.7 stroke average, and is on pace to depart as the Commodores’ all-time leader in stroke average with a 73.1 career mark.
“What a great honor for Marina,” said Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen. “I don’t think she saw this coming and I didn’t until I really took a close look at the ballot. There were a couple of players with tournament wins but none with as many consistent finishes. She only had two finishes outside of the top 15. She was really solid, and she’s in great company as one of only two players in the history of the conference that have received this honor.”
“It’s shocking, I’m not going to lie,” said Alex. “I didn’t think I had quite the year I had my sophomore year, but I’ve had some really good rounds and had some top 10’s. It was great to be in contention at the SEC Championship, so I’ve seen some glimmers of some really good golf. The SEC is one of the best, if not the best, women’s golf conferences in the nation, and there are a lot of golfers that are deserving of this award. It just shows how strong SEC golf is right now.”
Stratton, along with Alex, were named to the All-SEC First Team, becoming the eighth and ninth Vanderbilt players, respectively, to be named to the first team, and the first time since 2004 (May Wood, Sarah Jacobs) that the Commodores have had two players honored on the first team. Stratton, from Spring Hill, Tenn., participated in all 10 Vanderbilt events this year, posted a 73.3 stroke average, and had two top five finishes (Mason Rudolph Fall Preview, T-3rd; Mercedes Benz SEC/Pac 12 Challenge, 2nd) and three additional top 10’s (Stanford Intercollegiate, t-6th; Vanderbilt/Texas Dual, t-7th; SEC Championship, t-8th).
“Lauren had a great fall and had the kidney stone in the spring, so I’m glad she was recognized by the league’s coaches for her great season,” said Allen.
“It’s been a crazy year,” said Stratton. “My fall season was the best season of my career, and I almost got my first win at the end of the fall season. This semester has been crazy and I’ve had some glimmers of good play. But then I had a kidney stone, which needed surgery, which really limited my practice heading into the last part of the year. It was a cycle of uncertainty for a while, and I’m just happy to be back playing. It’s a great honor to be named to the first team and to be recognized in a league with some of the best players in the country.”
Martindale, in her first collegiate campaign, averaged 75.1 strokes per round in eight tournaments this season in being named to the All-Freshman team. Her best finish this year was a tie for 21st at the Central District Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
“We knew Kendall was going to be one of the most talented freshman in the nation coming in, and she has showed us some of that talent,” said Allen. “We are very excited for her future here at Vanderbilt.”
“This will be a confidence builder for me,” said Martindale. “I wasn’t thinking I’d played well enough to be on this list, but I’m extremely honored to be on it.”
The Commodores will head to the NCAA Central Regional in Columbus, Ohio, and be one of twenty-four teams competing for eight spots in the NCAA Championship, which will be held at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn., May 22-25. The top two individuals not associated with the eight teams from each region will advance as individuals to the NCAA Championships.
Tickets are available for the championship online at NCAA.com/tickets or by calling the Vanderbilt Ticket Office at 615-322-GOLD. A four-day pass costs $25 for adults, $15 for youth and students.
CO-COACH OF THE YEAR
Mic Potter, Alabama
Kim Evans, Auburn
GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Marina Alex, Vanderbilt
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Brooke Pancake, Alabama
FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
Camilla Hedberg, Florida
ALL-SEC TEAMS
First-team All-SEC
Patricia Sanz, Auburn
Lauren Stratton, Vanderbilt
Emily Tubert, Arkansas
Jennifer Kirby, Alabama
Brooke Pancake, Alabama
Marina Alex, Vanderbilt
Stephanie Meadow, Alabama
Emile Burger, Georgia
Marta Silva Zamora, Georgia
Second Team All-SEC
Katie Burnett, South Carolina
Camilla Hedberg, Florida
Marta Sanz, Auburn
Tessa Teachman, LSU
Mia Piccio, Florida
Austin Ernst, LSU
Madeline Sagstrom, LSU
Victoria Trapani, Auburn
All-Freshman Team
Camilla Hedberg, Florida
Madeline Sagstrom, LSU
Victoria Trapani, Auburn
Ally McDonald, Mississippi State
Rocio Sanchez Lobato, Georgia
Kendall Martindale, Vanderbilt
A.J. Newell, Tennessee
Justine Dreher, South Carolina