April 26, 2011
All-Big West Release in PDF Format
DAVIS, Calif. - Sophomore Demi Runas was named the Big West Women's Golfer of the Year, Anne Walker was selected Coach of the Year and four other Aggies joined Runas with All-Big West honors in postseason awards announced by the league on Tuesday.
Runas was joined on the All-Big West first team by seniors Alice Kim and Chelsea Stelzmiller, and sophomore Amy Simanton while freshman Jessica Chulya earned honorable mention accolades.
Kim and Stelzmiller earned their fourth straight first-team honors while Runas and Simanton did so for the second straight year. Walker's coaching award was her second straight.
The awards come a week after UC Davis dominated on its way to an 18-shot win at the Big West Championships, successfully defending its title won last year and earning its third NCAA West Regional berth in the last four years.
They're also the latest accolades for a program which has risen to national prominence, placing itself among the nation's elite collegiate programs after just four seasons at the NCAA Div. I level.
Runas, from Torrance, leads UC Davis in scoring with a 74.1 average and has enjoyed a season in which she has had six top-10 finishes including a third at the Big West Championships, a tied for fourth at the Peg Barnard Invitational at Stanford, and a sixth at the Fresno State Lexus Classic.
Her 69 during the second round of The Topy Cup in Japan last September was the third-lowest individual score of the season for UC Davis. She went on to finish with a pair of ties for eighth at tournaments at New Mexico and in Colorado, leading her to Big West Golfer of the Month honors for September.
She is the second straight Golfer of the Year for UC Davis and third since 2008, joining Stelzmiller who won the honor that year and Kim who earned the recognition last year.
Kim and Stelzmiller continued their outstanding Aggie careers with another set of All-Big West first-team honors. Kim, from Walnut, has a trio of top-10 placings this spring, highlighting her season so far with an impressive showing at the conference tournament where she finished first with a 9-under score of 207. She opened the event with a 6-under 66 and then followed with a 67.
Stelzmiller, from Placerville, finished sixth at the Big West Championships, was 15th among 90 competitors at the Golfweek Challenge in September and posted a 69 during the second round of the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational at New Mexico.
Simanton, from Lake Oswego, Ore., continued the great start to her Aggie career after being named the Big West Freshman of the Year last season, She had a pair of top-10 showings this spring, punctuating her season wit ha fourth-place finish among 84 golfers at the Fresno State Lexus Classic in March. She tied for 10th at the Big West Championships and posted a season-low 70 at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate earlier this month.
Chulya, from Bangkok, Thailand, tied for eighth at both the Peg Barnard Invitational and the Fresno State Lexus Classic, helping her receive honorable mention honors. Her 72 at Fresno State was her best score of the year.
Walker was named Big West Coach of the Year for the second time in her three years at the Aggies' helm, helping lead UC Davis to another conference championship, two tournament wins and top-10 finishes in every one of its tournaments.
UC Davis has not placed lower than sixth in any of its events this spring, rose to a program-best 18th in the national rankings and is currently 23rd heading into next week's West Regional at the University of Washington.
The Aggies had four of the six players on the first team and were joined on that squad by Simone Hoey and Monica Villareal of Long Beach State. Ronnie Valero of UC Irvine was selected the Freshman of the Year.
UC Davis will continue preparations for the regional which will be held May 5-7, looking advance to the national finals for the second time.
BIG WEST WOMEN'S GOLF AWARDS
GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Demi Runas, UC DAVIS
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ronnie Valerio, UC Irvine
COACH OF THE YEAR
Anne Walker, UC DAVIS
FIRST TEAM
Simone Hoey, Long Beach State
Alice Kim, UC DAVIS
Demi Runas, UC DAVIS
Amy Simanton, UC DAVIS
Chelsea Stelzmiller, UC DAVIS
Monica Villarreal, Long Beach State
SECOND TEAM
Amelia Ek, UC Riverside
Michelle Park, UC Irvine
Lalita Patipaksiri, UC Irvine
Ronnie Valerio, UC Irvine
Taylor Yoshitake, Cal Poly
HONORABLE MENTION
Jessica Chulya, UC DAVIS
Kylie Kimura, Cal State Northridge
Reina Rogers, Long Beach State
Noelle Zavaleta, Long Beach State
