April 22, 2010

Four Yellowjacket Women’s Golfers Named All-Conference; O’Brien Tabbed Coach of the Year

BILLINGS, Mont. – Fresh off its first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament championship, the Montana State Billings women’s golf team continued to add postseason hardware.  Four Yellowjackets were named to the all-conference team and first year head coach, Shawn O’Brien, was named Coach of the Year, the conference office announced Wednesday.  Sophomore Kalli Stanhope was a first team selection, while senior Amy Nordeen and sophomore Erin Heaney earned second team honors and reshman Liz Tikriti was a third team selection.

Stanhope, a native of Glendive, Mont., earned her second consecutive first team all-conference honors as she led the team in scoring in RMAC play at an 80.1 average and finished third in the league in stroke average.

Last season, Stanhope helped lead MSUB to its first NCAA tournament as a team in school history and she advanced individually to the NCAA Championship where she finished tied for 70th as a freshman. 

“Kalli has been very solid for us and we are always able to rely on her to post a great score,” O’Brien said.  “She is one of the most talented athletes, who is very humble.  This award is great for her.”

Nordeen, a native of Hamilton, Mont., finished the regular season with an 81.8 stroke average, which was good for second on the team and seventh in the league.  She fired the low-round of 75 for the year in RMAC play in the second round of the championship, Tuesday.   As a team, the Jackets fired their low team rounds of the year in the championship with a 320 on Monday and a 318 Tuesday.

“Amy is a great leader,” O’Brien said.  “She has worked very hard this spring as she is a senior, knowing this past tournament could have been her last.  She stepped up huge and is playing great golf.”

Heaney, a native of Anaconda, Mont., earned her first all-conference award this season.  She tallied a career-best 82.6 stroke average for third-best on the team in RMAC play.  She finished ninth in the league in average. 

“Erin is very deserving for second team all-RMAC,” O’Brien said.  “I am excited to have her back next year as she is only a sophomore.  She will only become better as she has a great work-ethic.”

Tikriti, a Yakima, Wash., native, made an immediate impact for the Yellowjackets this season as a freshman.  She finished in the top 20 in scoring average in the league at an 85.5 clip.

“Liz Tikriti, I can’t say enough about,” O’Brien said.  “She is only a freshman, who played much like an upper classman for the majority of the year.  We are excited for her to return and only become better.”

In his first year with the Yellowjackets, Gillette, Wyo., native, O’Brien, guided the Yellowjackets to a runner-up finish in the RMAC during the regular season.  The Jackets finished second in three of the four RMAC meets and won the championship meet by six strokes over Western New Mexico earlier this week.  In the preseason poll, the Jackets were picked third behind Mesa State and Western New Mexico. 

This is the first Coach of the Year honor for MSUB in women’s golf in school history and O’Brien is in prime position to lead the Yellowjackets to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament this season as the final NCAA Division II Central Region poll is scheduled to be released later today.  MSUB entered the RMAC Championship ninth in the region as the top nine teams advance to the super regional hosted by Minnesota State Makato, May 2-4 in Lake City, Minn.

“It’s a great honor to be named RMAC Women’s Coach of the Year, especially because it is voted on by other RMAC coaches,” O’Brien said.  “It is an honor which doesn’t come around to0 often.  I have to give all the credit to our women for playing well last fall, and winning the conference championship this week.  Without them none of this would have happened.”

Mesa State’s Kirstina Casillas won Golfer of the Year as she led the league with a 78.4 average.  Lara Pocs of Regis University won Newcomer of the Year and earned first team honors with an 81.0 average. 

2009-10 All-RMAC First Team
Name Yr. Hometown Score
Kristina Casillas, Mesa State Jr. Sacramento, Calif. 463
Sara Wissing, Neb.-Kearney So. Hastings, Neb. 466
Kalli Stanhope, MSU, Billings So. Glendive, Mont. 471
Jessica Berve, Mesa State So. Farmington, N.M. 474
Jennifer Hilts, Mesa State So. Bend, Ore. 475
Lara Pocs, Regis Fr.. Westminister, Colo. 475

2009-10 All-RMAC Second Team
Name Yr. Hometown Score
Amy Norden, MSU, Billings Sr. Hamilton. Mont 480
Jessica Lauer, Colo. Christian Jr. Sturgis, S.D. 488
Erin Heaney, MSU, Billings So. Anaconda, Mont. 489
Afton Balling, Mesa State So. Cody, Wyo. 493
Alex Semanko, Regis So. Boise, Idaho 493

2009-10 All-RMAC Third Team
Name Yr. Hometown Score
Carissa Schwalm, Western N.M. Jr. Las Cruces, N.M. 494
Michelle Stripp, Mesa State Fr. Glenwood Spgs., Colo. 496
Kendall Martin, Adams State Jr. Tucson, Ariz. 497
Rachel Means, CSU-Pueblo Fr. Penrose, Colo. 508
Haley Raymond, Western N.M. Fr. Socorro, N.M. 508
Liz Tikriti, MSU, Billings Fr. Yakima, Wash. 508