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Purdue's Hernandez Wins NCAA Women's Golf Title
May 23, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The ninth-ranked Purdue women’s golf team added two firsts to the record books on Friday evening. Senior Maria Hernandez birdied two of her final three holes to win the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf NCAA individual championship and she capped off the evening by being named PING National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) National Player of the Year. Both are firsts for the Boilermaker women’s golf program. “Maria is the hardest working player that I have had in 31 years of coaching,” Purdue head coach Devon Brouse said. “I have had to pull her off the practice tee some times because she’ll hit too many balls; work too hard on mechanics and technique. The exciting thing for her (at the next level) is there is plenty of room for improvement (at the professional level). I am so happy for Maria.” Hernandez also picked up NCGA first team All-America honors. It is her third consecutive season to be named first team by the coaches’ association. The NCAA champion was not the only Boilermaker to be recognized for an outstanding season. Associate head coach JoJo Robertson was named NGCA Assistant Golf Coach of the Year, Brouse was tabbed the SkyCaddie NGCA Regional Coach of the Year for the NCAA Central site, sophomore Maude-Aimee LeBlanc was honored with second team All-America accolades and Hernadez and LeBlanc were named to the NGCA All-Region Team for the NCAA Central Regional. Hernandez set many milestones for the Boilermaker golf program in her college career. In 2008, she became the first Purdue women’s golfer to win the Big Ten Championships individual title. She defended that title this season by tying for first with teammate Maude-Aimee LeBlanc. The Pamplona, Spain, native was the first to be named first team All-American, earning the honor from NGCA as a sophomore, junior and senior. This season, Hernandez won or tied for first in six tournaments including the ultimate prize, the NCAA title. She won 14 tournaments as a collegian, one as a freshman, four in her sophomore year, three as a junior and six this season. She helped Purdue to three Big Ten team championships (2006, 2008, 2009), was named Big Ten Player of the Year three times, is the only winner of the Big Ten’s Mary Fossum Award and was tabbed first team All-Big Ten all four years. In addition, Hernandez has earned Academic All-Big Ten each year she’s been eligible for nomination.
The 5-foot-5 golfer finished the season with a team-low 72.8 stroke average, the second lowest mark in her career. As a junior, Hernandez averaged a career-best 71.9 strokes per round. LeBlanc added second team NGCA All-American to her list of accomplishments. The sophomore from Sherbrooke, Quebec, was named honorable mention All-America last season by the NGCA and third team by Golfweek. LeBlanc is a two-time first team All-Big Ten team member and shared medalist honors with Hernandez at the 2009 Big Ten Championships. LeBlanc was ranked No. 15 nationally as an individual after finishing a team-best fourth at the NCAA Central Regional. This year she finished tied for 82nd at the NCAA Championships, but last season as a freshman she tied for 15th. Robertson picks up her first national award as an assistant coach. The Oklahoma State graduate completed her fifth season with the Boilermaker women’s golf team and has helped guide the team to four top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. Robertson was promoted to associate head coach last summer and joins her brother, Greg, the associate head coach for the Purdue men’s golf team as a recipient of national assistant coach of the year honors. Purdue won five tournaments in 2008-09, including successfully defending its Big Ten Championships title on April 26. The Boilermakers finished second at the 2009 NCAA Central Regional on the Scarlet Course at Ohio State and 10th at the NCAA Championships at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. Brouse has completed his 11th season at the helm of both the men's and the women's teams and has earned his third NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year award. The Purdue graduate was named Big Ten Women's Golf Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season and the fourth time in his career after guiding the Boilermakers to their fourth Big Ten team title. Purdue is one of just four schools to advance to the NCAA Championships each of the last 10 seasons. The other schools are 2009 NCAA Champion Arizona State, 2006 and 2007 champions Duke and 2008 NCAA Champion Southern California. Courtesy of purduesports.com |
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