SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Stanford freshman Rachel Heck and sophomore Angelina Ye were named Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) First Team All-Americans on Wendesday. The Cardinal was the only program with two first teamers in 2021. Anne Walker has now had at least one first team All-American in all nine seasons as the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf.
Heck, from Memphis, Tenn. won six times including each of her last five tournaments. She became the third woman in NCAA history to sweep the postseason, winning the Pac-12 Championships, NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships. She set a new NCAA record with a 69.72 scoring average, while 15 of her 25 rounds were in the 60s. In addition to her six victories, her other three starts featured a tie for second, a tie for sixth and a tie for 11th. On Tuesday she was named the recipient of the ANNIKA Award, while on Wednesday she earned the PING WGCA Player and Freshman of the Year honors.
Ye, from Shanghai, China, finished her sophomore campaign with a 71.36 scoring average, the third-best in school history. In her nine starts, she finished second at NCAA Regionals, third at NCAA Championships, fourth two times, tied for sixth, tied for seventh, tied for ninth and tied for 11th twice. Over her last 14 rounds of the season, Ye had 11 rounds at par or better, six in the 60s and a career-best 7-under 65 in the third round of the NCAA Championships.
WGCA First Team All-Americans
Karen Fredgaard, Sophomore, University of Houston
Linn Grant, Sophomore, Arizona State University
Rachel Heck, Freshman, Stanford University
Julia Johnson, Senior, University of Mississippi
Gina Kim, Junior, Duke University
Ingrid Lindblad, Sophomore, Louisiana State University
Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, Sophomore, University of South Carolina
Emma Spitz, Sophomore, University of California, Los Angeles
Maja Stark, Sophomore, Oklahoma State University
Beatrice Wallin, Junior, Florida State University
Angelina Ye, Sophomore, Stanford University
The criteria used to determine the WGCA All-American Teams include:
· Head-to-head competition
· Comparison with common opponents
· Scoring average
· Place finishes in regular season events and tournament wins
· Strength of schedule
The WGCA Second Team and Honorable Mention Team will be announced after the conclusion of the tournament.
About the Women's Golf Coaches Association
The Women's Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women's collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 650 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.