LAKEWOOD, CO – The Colorado Christian women's golf program earned a handful of first-time honors in program history as the RMAC announced its season ending conference awards.
Faith Kilgore was named the conference's Player of the Year, making her the inaugural winner for the program. In addition, she earned first-team all-conference accolades for the second time. She is now just the second Colorado Christian golfer (Katrina Mendez) to be recognized as a first-team performer on two occasions.
Emily Donaldson also earned first-team all-conference accolades. It is the first time in her tenure at Colorado Christian she has been recognized with the honor. Moreover, it is the first time the program has had two first-team honorees in the same season.
"These two have really elevated their play this year and have led this team on the course so well. Faith and Emily have learned how to be competitive with each other and go at each other hard, but to do it in the right way. They make each other better and their competitiveness bleeds into the rest of our team as well," said head coach Phil Nelson. "So proud of their success on the course, but also because of who they have both grown into as leaders. I am excited for the next two years for both of them as they continue to lead this team on and off the course, and for the records they will continue to set individually and as a team. Speaks volumes to the development of the talent in this program and where we are headed as a team."
Kilgore was the league's top performer all season. Kilgore won two different events – The Swan Memorial and Sam Proal Invitational – while posting a top 10 finish in seven of the nine events she competed. Her 65 she shot during the final round of the Swan Memorial in early September is still the best individual round score of any golfer in NCAA Division II. She is headed to the NCAA West Regional next week.
Donaldson had the second best scoring average on the team (77.83) in the 18 rounds and eight events she played. She posted two top five finishes and another top 10 finish. The native of Topeka, KS was also named the RMAC Player of the Week on one occasion.
Major Awards
Golfer of the Year: Faith Kilgore, Colorado Christian
Freshman of the Year: Whitney Banz
Coach of the Year: Denise Larson, Westminster
First Team
Whitney Banz, Westminster
Julia Baroth, UCCS
Emily Donaldson, Colorado Christian
Faith Kilgore, Colorado Christian
Hannah More, Colorado Mesa
Alex Naumovski, Regis
Emily Shimkus, UCCS
Elly Walters, Colorado Mesa
Second Team
Cailyn Clayton, Westminster
Kanna Crosland, Westminster
Sydney Eye, MSU Denver
Alpine Hickstein, Chadron State
Kate Keuss, Regis
Randi Kim, Colorado Mesa
Dakotah Kreil, UCCS
Crystle Querol, Colorado Mesa
*Names are in alphabetical order
