Chambers became the first women’s golfer in program history to earn medalist honors in a NCAA Regional. With the greatest of expectations riding them at the national championship and a title or bust mentality, the Blue & White did not wither away; rather they rose to the challenge and collected not only the program’s fifth national crown and No. 22 for Lynn University but swept honors with an individual national champion as well. Lynn put forth the second-lowest 72-hole score in championship history in winning by 29-strokes to claim back-to-back national titles. The Blue & White’s victory proved the SSC’s dominance in women’s golf as teams from the league have now claimed the last 15 NCAA Division II Women’s
Louise Manalo became the fourth women’s golfer to claim an individual national championship and first since Zoe Grimbeek in 1997.
Golf Championships since 2000.
the first golfer at Lynn to be named the
Woman of the Year nominee. She was
Louise Manalo then became the
WGCA National Player of the Year while
also selected as the NCAA Division II
fifth individual national champion in
head coach Danny Randolph added
Women’s Golf Elite 89 Award Winner,
school history after shooting a program-
WGCA National Coach of the Year to a
which recognizes the true essence of
best 287, including becoming one of
sterling resume which now includes two
the student-athlete by honoring the
just three players in school history
national titles, two NCAA South Region
individual who has reached the pinnacle
to shoot 68 in a round, to beat team-
crowns and one SSC Championship.
of competition at the national champi-
mate Jessica Bradley by one shot.
Chambers showed the Fighting
onship level in his or her sport, while
The numbers in 2013-14 are over-
Knights mettle in the classroom as
also achieving the highest academic
whelming: 11 wins in 13 tournaments
well, ending her career with a perfect
standard among his or her peers.
with two runner-ups; a 76.9 overall
4.0 GPA and being honored as a Capital
A banner year for Lynn University’s
stroke average, 296.58 team average,
One First Team Academic All-American,
women’s golf team. And with Bradley,
41 individual top-10 finishes and four
SSC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Smolen and Manalo all returning in 2014-
All-Americans. Jessica Bradley became
and the conference’s NCAA Division II
15, could a three-peat be in the cards?
Samantha Smolen joined Bradley as a WGCA First Team All-American, giving the Fighting Knights two first teamers for the first time since 1997.
Senior Ellen Chambers had a stellar athletic and academic career, earning Sunshine State Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and the leagues nomination for NCAA Division II Woman of the Year. Florida Golf Central • Volume 15, Issue 3
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