BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's golf team has added to its haul of postseason accolades with five players selected to the 2021-22 GNAC All-Conference team.
After winning its second consecutive conference title, WWU led all GNAC schools with the five selections to the All-GNAC squad, highlighted by co-Player of the Year
Megan Billeter. The Vikings had four players earn First Team All-GNAC, dominating the seven-player squad.
In addition to Billeter picking up first-team honors, GNAC Championships medalist
Elise Sumner, GNAC runner-up
Dani Bailey and
Claire Moon were also first-team selections. Senior
Sarah Shea was a Second Team All-GNAC honoree.
WWU Director of Golf
Luke Bennett swept the GNAC Coach of the Year awards, adding the women's honor to his men's award announced on Wednesday. The Vikings swept the podium at the GNAC Golf Championships held April 18-19 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, with both teams winning both the team title and individual medalist honors. Both the men's and women's squads will compete in the NCAA Division II Championships in the next week.
Here is a look at WWU's awards on the 2021-22 GNAC Women's Golf All-Conference Team:
Billeter became the seventh Viking to earn a GNAC Player of the Year Award, with WWU winning the honor in nine of the 11 seasons it has been presented. Western has now had a GNAC Player of the Year in three of the last four years, with
Lacy Overstreet (2018-19) and
Sumner (2020-21) winning the award in recent years. Billeter played in all eight tournaments during the 2021-22 season, recording a GNAC-leading scoring average of 77.63 (+5.75 to par). She shared the player of the year award with Shirin Anjarwalla of Simon Fraser University.
Sumner appeared in only three spring tournaments due to an injury in the fall, but wasted little time regaining the form that earned her the 2020-21 player of the year award. Sumner recorded a scoring average of 76.67 (+5.00 to par) and won the GNAC individual title at the conference championships. She is now a three-time First Team All-GNAC award winner.
Bailey repeated as a First Team All-GNAC selection after placing second at the GNAC Championships. During the season she played in four of the eight tournaments turning in a scoring average of 79.13 (+7.38 to par).
Moon jumped to First Team All-GNAC status after earning second-team honors in 2019-20. One of three Vikings to appear in all eight tournaments, the sophomore turned in a scoring average of 78.25 (+6.38 to par) to rank third in the GNAC.
Shea earned second-team honors after being a First Team All-GNAC selection in 2020-21. The senior recorded a scoring average of 80.94 (+9.06 to par) with a season-best 7th-place finish at the Westminster Wasatch Invitational during the fall.
Bennett repeated as the GNAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year, picking up his sixth all-time conference coaching honor. WWU will be making a second consecutive trip to the NCAA II West Regional after winning back-to-back GNAC titles. The Vikings led the conference with a team scoring average of 312.2 (+24.75 to par), a five-stroke advantage over second-place Simon Fraser (317.2).
2021-22 GNAC WOMEN'S GOLF ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Here is a listing of the GNAC All-Conference Team for 2021-22:
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2021-22 GNAC WOMEN'S GOLF AL-CONFERENCE TEAM
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Player of the Year: Megan Billeter, WWU and Shirin Anjarwalla, SFU
Coach of the Year: Luke Bennett, Western Washington
Freshman of the Year: Christine Cho, Northwest Nazarene
Newcomer of the Year: Natasha Kozlowski, Simon Fraser
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FIRST TEAM
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Name
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School
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Yr.
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Hometown (Previous School)
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Elise Sumner *#
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Western Washington
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So.
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North Tustin, CA (Foothill)
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Dani Bailey *
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Western Washington
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So.
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Queenstown, New Zealand
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Megan Billeter ^&
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Western Washington
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Jr.
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Spokane, WA (Mt. Spokane)
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Shirin Anjarwalla
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Simon Fraser
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So.
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Nanaimo, BC (Dover Bay)
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Claire Moon ^
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Western Washington
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So.
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Olympia, WA (Olympia)
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Christine Cho
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Northwest Nazarene
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Fr.
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Eagle, ID (Idaho Virtual Academy)
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Natasha Kozlowski
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Simon Fraser
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So.
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Prince George, BC (Univ. of Fraser Valley)
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SECOND TEAM
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Name
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School
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Yr.
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Hometown (Previous School)
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Madison Gridley +
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Northwest Nazarene
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So.
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Meridian, ID (Rocky Mountain)
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Hannah Holloway +^
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Northwest Nazarene
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Jr.
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Eagle, ID (Bishop Kelly)
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Kinsey Irvin
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Montana St. Billings
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Sr.
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Lewistown, MT (Fergus)
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Sarah Shea +
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Western Washington
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Sr.
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Sequim, WA (Sequim)
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Kathryn Crimp *
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Saint Martin's
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Jr.
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Ellensburg, WA (Ellensburg)
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Jada French
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Saint Martin's
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Jr.
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Ferndale, WA (Ferndale)
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Tierney Messmer +
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Montana St. Billings
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Sr.
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Sidney, MT (Sidney)
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* - First Team in 2020-21; + - Second Team in 2020-21; # - First Team in 2019-20
^ - Second Team in 2019-20 ; & - Second Team in 2018-19
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