BATON ROUGE — LSU sophomore women’s golfer, Megan McChrystal, who is on pace to record the lowest season stroke average in the 30-year history of the program, was named first-team All-SEC Wednesday as the Southeastern Conference office announced the women’s golf awards.
McChrystal is the first LSU golfer to earn first-team honors since 2005 and is the third LSU sophomore to earn first-team All-SEC, joining Melissa Eaton (2005) and Meredith Duncan (2000). She becomes the 11th LSU golfer since 1986 to earn at least one first-team honor.
McChrystal has two tournament wins this season, at the Central District Invitational in February when she shot rounds of 71-74-68, posting a three-under par 213. In the final regular season event of the year, a final round of 69 after opening 73-73 to win with a one-under 215 at the Bryan Park National Collegiate.
The Stuart, Fla., native has a stroke average of 72.5 for 22 rounds, ahead of the record pace of 73.12 for a single season set by Duncan in 2002. McChrystal is ranked 13th in the nation in the Golfstat Cup and in the Golfweek/Sagarin performance chart. Her stroke average is second best in the league.
LSU’s two freshmen were also named to the league All-Freshman team ? Jacqueline Hedwall and Tessa Teachman.
Hedwall is second on the team in stroke average at 74.5 strokes per round and is the only player on the Tiger team to have teed it up in every round this season. Hedwall has a seventh place finish in the LSU Golf Classic at four-under 212 (68-74-70) and a ninth-place finish at Bryan Park at seven-over 223 (75-74-74).
Teachman, from Baton Rouge, has been playing some of her best golf as of late for the Lady Tigers, finishing tied for 13th in the one-round Liz Murphey, tying for ninth at 223 at Bryan Park and then recording a team best finish of 13th at the SEC Women’s Championships last weekend at seven-over 220 (75-71-74). Teachman is averaging 75.0 for the year.
The SEC Golfer of the year is Candace Schepperle of Auburn with her coach, Kim Evans, named Coach of the Year after her team captured the SEC Championship. Kentucky’s Mallory Blackwelder is the Scholar-Athlete of the Year and SEC individual champion, Marta Silva of Georgia, is the Freshman of the Year.
The eighth-ranked LSU Tigers will next play in the NCAA regionals, May 7-9, and will find out their regional location on Monday.
SEC Women’s Golf Awards
First Team All-SEC
Candace Schepperle, Auburn, Jr.
Megan McChrystal, LSU, So.
Dori Carter, Ole Miss, Sr.
Marta Silva, Georgia, Fr.
Jessica Yadloczky, Florida, So.
Mallory Hetzel, Georgia, Sr.
Cydney Clanton, Auburn, So.
Camilla Lennarth, Alabama, So.
Kathleen Ekey, Alabama, Sr.
Second Team All-SEC
Brooke Pancake, Alabama, Fr.
Nathalie Mansson, Tennessee, Fr.
Benedicte Toumpsin, S. Carolina, Jr.
Lucy Nunn, Arkansas, Sr.
Carolina Andrade, Georgia, Jr.
Marina Alex, Vanderbilt, Fr.
Nicole Smith, Tennessee, Sr.
Haley Wilson, Auburn, Fr.
All-Freshman Team
Marta Silva, Georgia
Brooke Pancake, Alabama
Nathalie Mansson, Tennessee
Marina Alex, Vanderbilt
Haley Wilson, Auburn
Jacqueline Hedwall, LSU
Evan Jensen, Florida
Tessa Teachman, LSU
SEC Coach of the Year
Kim Evans, Auburn
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Mallory Blackwelder, Kentucky
SEC Golfer of the Year
Candace Schepperle, Auburn
SEC Freshman of the Year
Marta Silva, Georgia