By: by Scott Lipsky
MACON, Ga. – Kennesaw State freshman golfer Ket Preamchuen earned a pair of impressive honors on Friday, finding herself on the All Atlantic Sun Conference First Team and All Freshman Team for her stellar performance during her opening collegiate campaign, the conference announced.
Preamchuen, who hails from Thailand, set a program record with a stroke average of 74.7 to join teammates Patricia Arana and Jordan Lazenby as the three Owls who shattered Arana’s previous mark of 77.3, set last season. She was the Owls’ leading scorer in eight of the 11 tournaments that head coach Rhyll Brinsmead’s squad entered during the 2009-2010 season, and her seven top-10 finishes on the season was also a team record.
Her top performance of the season couldn’t have come at a better time for the squad, as she placed alone in fourth at the A-Sun Championship in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., firing rounds of 73-70-76 to lock herself in as one of two Owls to finish in the top-10 and help her squad to a second place performance. It was Ket’s fourth top-five finish of the year and her highest finish overall.
Preamchuen also set the program’s 18-hole record this season, shooting an impressive 4-under par 66 in the second round of the Challenge at Onion Creek in Austin, Tex., easily breaking the previous record of 69.
This is the first time that a member of the Owls women’s golf program has been named to an All A-Sun First or Second Team. Arana earned All-Freshman honors last season. Brinsmead looks at this honor as a good indication of the growth her program has experienced over the last year.
"Ket being the first player to be named to the All A-Sun First Team and also to the A-Sun All Freshman Team shows the direction this program is headed in and the quality of our players,” Brinsmead said on Friday. “Patricia was named to the A-Sun Freshman team last year and started a trend that will be continued as the program continues to develop. I am very proud of Ket's play this year and she is very deserving of these honors."
This season was record-setting for the Owls as a whole. Their second place finish in the A-Sun Championship matched their highest finish in an event as a team in the program’s five-year history. Their team scoring average of 304.1 easily bested their previous record of 315.7, set during the 2008-2009 season. In addition, they set new team records for low 18-hole score (285); low 36-hole score (578) and low 54-hole score (874). Their six top-five finishes as a team during the season also set a new team mark.
2010 All-Atlantic Sun Conference Honors- Women's Golf
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alex Buelow - Stetson
First Team
Alex Buelow - Stetson
*Laura Jansone - ETSU
*Mary Mattson - Campbell
Nina Muehl - ETSU
Ket Preamchuen - KSU
* unanimous vote
Second Team
Sarah Bejgrowicz - Campbell
Briana Carlson - FGCU
Danielle Jackson - Stetson
Sinead O'Sullivan - ETSU
Mayte Vizcarrondo - ETSU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Alex Buelow - Stetson
All-Freshman Team
Alex Buelow - Stetson
*Briana Carlson - FGCU
*Anna Hancock - Stetson
Ket Preamchuen - KSU
Teresa Urquizu - Campbell
* unanimous vote
COACH OF THE YEAR
Floyd Kerr - Stetson
