ARLINGTON, Texas – The major award winners and all-conference teams for the 2023 WAC women’s golf season were revealed on Wednesday afternoon. Sam Houston’s Zulaikah Nasser was named WAC Player of the Year, Grand Canyon’s Ryan Flynn earned WAC Freshman of the Year and Sam Houston’s Jenna Young was voted by her peers the WAC Coach of the Year.
Player awards and the all-conference teams were tabulated by using a formula that included pre-championship Golfstat and Golfweek player rankings, adjusted regular season scoring average and placement at the 2023 WAC Women’s Golf Championship. Nine players comprised the all-conference first team, with eight players landing on the second team.
Nasser finished in a tie for seventh place (222, +6) for conference champion Sam Houston at the 2023 WAC Championship to cement top player accolades. Nasser entered the conference tournament ranked 147th in NCAA Division I according to Golfstat, tops in the WAC, and had a 0.32 adjusted scoring average. Nasser was the individual medalist at the REMAX Prime Properties Invitational and the Beach Invitational earlier this season and travels to NCAA Regionals in San Antonio with seven top-10 finishes thus far in 2022-23.
Flynn was named the WAC Women’s Golfer of the Week on April 5, finishing the season with four top-10 performances in her debut season with GCU. Flynn shared 19th place at the 2023 WAC Championship with a score of 229 (+13).
Young helped lead Sam Houston to six tournament victories thus far this season, including an impressive showing at the 2023 WAC Championship. The Bearkats led wire-to-wire at Semiahmoo Country Club to bring home their first WAC women’s golf title with a team score of 883. Sam Houston will compete in NCAA Regionals at TPC San Antonio from May 8-10.
Sam Houston and Grand Canyon led all WAC women’s golf programs with five all-conference performers, including four Sam Houston players on the first team and three GCU players on the second team.
2023 WAC Women’s Golf Season Awards
WAC Women’s Golf Player of the Year
Zulaikah Nasser, Jr, Sam Houston
WAC Women’s Golf Freshman of the Year
Ryan Flynn, Grand Canyon
WAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year
Jenna Young, Sam Houston
WAC All-Conference First Team
Hailey Loh, So, California Baptist
Ryan Flynn, Fr, Grand Canyon
Constanza Guerrero, Jr, Grand Canyon
Alison Gastelum, Sr, NM State
Leah Alberto, Sr, Sam Houston
Jenn David, Jr, Sam Houston
Jennifer Herbst, Jr, Sam Houston
Zulaikah Nasser, Jr, Sam Houston
Samantha Bruce, Sr, Seattle U
WAC All-Conference Second Team
Samantha Dizon, Fr, California Baptist
Carly Strole, Jr, Grand Canyon
Becca Tschetter, Jr, Grand Canyon
Tagiralan Luafalealo, Jr, Grand Canyon
Emma Bunch, Fr, NM State
Kaylee Chen, Fr, NM State
Valentina Origel, Jr, NM State
Viera Permato Rosada, Jr, Sam Houston
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