PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference announced its annual women’s golf awards on Friday to cap the 2015-16 season. East Carolina senior Frida Gustafsson Spang was named the American Women’s Golf Player of the Year while SMU rookie Brigitte Dunne took home Freshman of the Year honors. Houston head coach Gerrod Chadwell received Coach of the Year accolades.
The awards were voted on by the league’s nine head coaches.
Gustafsson Spang was a unanimous choice for the all-conference team after leading the Pirates to a top-30 national ranking and three event titles this season. She captured medalist honors at the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship on April 17-19 and has a current average of 72.18, the lowest in the conference. The Sweden native has four wins and five top-10 finishes this season.
Dunne has four top-20 finishes this season, including a pair of top-10 marks, and has the lowest average among league freshmen with a 74.41. She tied for fifth at the conference championship and was named to the all-conference team.
Chadwell was named Coach of the Year a week after leading the Cougars to the American Women’s Golf Championship title. With their 10-stroke victory at the conference championship on April 19, Houston clinched its second straight appearance in NCAA Regional play in only the second year of team competition under Chadwell. Houston also captured its first conference championship in program history. The Cougars are 33
rd in the nation in the latest Golfstat rankings.
The all-conference team spans student-athletes from six schools and is highlighted by three players from Houston and SMU. East Carolina had two players each receive all-conference honors while UCF, USF and Tulane each had one student-athlete receive honors.
American Women’s Golf All-Conference Team
*Ashley Holder, UCF, Jr.
*Lisa Pettersson, East Carolina, So.
*Frida Gustafsson Spang, East Carolina, Sr.
*Raegan Bremer, Houston, Sr.
*Yuka Kajiki, Houston, So.
Megan Thothong, Houston, So.
Brigitte Dunne, SMU, Fr.
*Jenny Haglund, SMU, Sr.
Lindsey McCurdy, SMU, Jr.
Nicole Autrique, USF, Jr.
Emily Penttila, Tulane, Sr.
American Women’s Golf Player of the Year
Frida Gustafsson Spang, East Carolina, Sr.
American Women’s Golf Freshman of the Year
Brigitte Dunne, SMU, Fr.
American Women’s Golf Coach of the Year
Gerrod Chadwell, Houston
[*] Denotes unanimous selection
Ties are not broken