England named First-Team All-SAC, Baiunco and Hawkins garner Honorable Mention

Posted: Apr 09, 2015

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman freshman Elizabeth England (Oakland, Tenn.) was named First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference Thursday by the league's coaches and senior Danielle Baiunco (Melbourne, Fla.) and junior Meridith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.) were named All-SAC Honorable Mention.

England is the second golfer to be named to the First Team during coach Suzanne Strudwick's tenure on Mossy Creek; Hawkins was a member of the All-SAC First-Team in 2014.

"For me, it's a job well done for those girls and that all their effort and hard work is paying off. They are team players; they're committed, dedicated and passionate about what they do. It's a reward and it's good for me to know that our team is being recognized for the hard work that they do," Strudwick said.

England has played in all 21 competitive rounds for Carson-Newman and is only one of two golfers to do so. She has a 79.3 stroke average, which rounds out to an average score of seven-over par. Her stroke average is the lowest on the team. She won the Etowah Intercollegiate in just her third collegiate tournament and she also took first-place at the Carson-Newman/Newberry Dual Match to kick off the spring season. She has 10 rounds of golf that were played in the 70s and her low round of the season was a 72 in the first round of the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate.

"They give me a lot of confidence, but also, it puts on pressure because you want to repeat what you've done. It's been good and bad," England said.

"It's really exciting and I'm honored."

Strudwick noted that although England made the First-Team during her first season on Mossy Creek, the Oakland, Tenn. native has potential to improve during her next three years.

"The potential that she showed when I recruited her, I knew that she was something special and the fact that she has shown that. We have both talked and there is so much she can improve on and that's what she is excited about and I'm excited about, so this is great," Strudwick said. "She didn't win Freshman of the Year and I know that was a goal for her, but I know moving forward, she has got bigger and better goals. But just making First-Team is awesome for her."

Baiunco garnered Honorable Mention for the second consecutive year. She dropped her stroke average by a stroke during her senior season as it finished the regular season with a 79.6 average. She shot 10 rounds in the 70s this season. Her best round of the year was a two-over 74 during the final round of the Guy Harvey Invitational. Baiunco's best finish of the year came in her most recent tournament as she finished tied for 10 at the Agnes McAmis Memorial. She shot three rounds in the 70s at the Fighting Camel Fall Classic, a Division I tournament hosted by Campbell University, in October to finish in a tie for 13^th; she also placed third at the Carson-Newman/Newberry Dual Match.

Hawkins followed her sophomore campaign in which she was named co-Player of the Year with an Honorable Mention in her third-year. This season, Hawkins played in all 21 rounds that the Eagles competed. Her best finish was a seventh-place tie at the Etowah Intercollegiate in September. She shot her best round of the season twice as she carded a 76 during the first round of the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate and the second round of the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate.

"Just their dedication and hard work has really pushed me to work as well so I think we all just work hard and do well for them," England said.

Newberry's Marianna Monaco was named the league's Player of the Year and Tusculum's Ciara Rattana racked in Freshman of the Year honors. Newberry's Clarissa Childs was named the SAC's Coach of the Year.

First Team

Marianna Monaco, Newberry

Madison Kennedy, Catawba

Ciara Rattana, Tusculum

Taylor Demby, Coker

Elizabeth England, Carson-Newman

Second Team

Caitlin Starrs, Wingate

Lindsay Davis, Lincoln Memorial

Grace Glaze, Queens

Lucia Careaga, Wingate

Kadi Pallastrone, Queens