NSU Golfer Finishes 2nd at NCAA Women's Golf Championships; Named PING Division II Player of the Year

Nova Southeastern University's freshman golfer Maria Garcia-Austt finished the 72 hole NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships in 2nd place, just one stroke behind tournament medalist Daniela Iacobelli.

Garcia-Austt (Fr., Montevideo, Uruguay) moved onto the nationals as one of the top two individuals not with an advancing team from the regional. She tied Rollins' Laura Fourdraine for first-place with a 220 in the South Regional.

Garcia-Austt (+6, 294), the #1 ranked women's golfer in Division II, shot a final round 74 to finish the tournament in 2nd place.

Florida Tech's Daniela Iacobelli (+5, 293) claimed medalist honors, finishing just one shot ahead of Garcia-Austt.  Rounding out the top five was Florida Southern's Lindsey Bergeon (+7, 295 and Heather Bergner (+8, 296), along with Drury's Tonya Choate (+9, 297).

Last week the National Golf Coaches Association named Garcia-Austt the PING NGCA Division II Player of the Year and Division II Freshman of the Year. Winners were recognized at the NGCA Division II Awards banquet held in Pensacola.

Garcia-Austt was also selected to the Duramed FUTURES Tour NGCA Division II All-America 1st Team. She becomes the third NSU women's golfer to earn All-America honors, along with Lina Bjorklund in 2006 (2nd Team) and Jenni Mostrum in 2005 (Honorable Mention). Garcia-Austt becomes the first NSU athlete to be named National Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
Garcia-Austt was also rewarded for her sensational collegiate debut season by the Sunshine State Conference, as she was chosen the SSC Women's Golfer of the Year and SSC Women's Golf Freshman of the Year.

Indeed, she has been sensational in her collegiate debut season, leading the SSC with a 74.65 stroke average. Garcia-Austt posted ten top 10 finishes and eight top five finishes. Garcia-Austt placed second in the SSC Championship (81-70-75=226), taking eventual medalist Daniela Iacobelli of Florida Tech to six playoff holes before the individual title was decided.

Additionally, she earned medalist honors at Florida Southern's Lady Moc Invitational and at Rollins' Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational. Garcia-Austt earned SSC Women's Golfer of the Week honors three times this spring.