Florida Tech Panthers Golf Team Place Three On WGCA All-American Teams

By  //  May 29, 2016

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The postseason awards continue to pile up for the Florida Tech women’s golf team as the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) named Felicia Leftinger, Brittany LaPadula and Guro Rambjoer All-Americans on Friday. (FIT Image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The postseason awards continue to pile up for the Florida Tech women’s golf team as the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) named Felicia Leftinger, Brittany LaPadula and Guro Rambjoer All-Americans on Friday.

Leftinger becomes a repeat performer on the heralded first team, while both LaPadula and Rambjoer landed on the second team for the second time in as many seasons.

The prestigious accolade is one more for Leftinger to add to her resume, with WGCA All-South Region and First Team All-Sunshine State Conference honors already to her name.

The Swede’s third All-American recognition in her illustrious Florida Tech career is well deserved after the senior wound up in sixth overall at the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship last Saturday, the best finish by a Panther player since Daniela Iacobelli did so back in 2009.

Felicia Leftinger
Felicia Leftinger

In addition, Leftinger collected two first-place ties this spring at the Barry Women’s Invitational and St. Edward’s Invitational, and ranked among the Top-20 in Division II in: birdies (70), par-5 scoring (5.02), and overall scoring average (74.82).

Following her aforementioned All-American campaign as a sophomore at Limestone, LaPadula hardly missed a beat in her first season in Crimson and Gray.

Like Leftinger, the Port St. Lucie, Florida native was also previously named all-region and all-conference in the recent weeks thanks to five Top-10 finishes in seven regular season tournament starts in the spring, including a pair of runner-up finishes at the World Golf Invitational and Lady Panther Invitational. Her 75.11 scoring average over that span ranked 14th in all of Division II, with her 4.14 par-4 average third-best in the country.

LaPadula
Brittany LaPadula

LaPadula also posted seven rounds of par or better, trailing only Leftinger on the team in that category.

One year removed from earning a trip to the national championship, Rambjoer returns to the All-American list following a victory at the Flagler Fall Slam before registering four Top-10 finishes this spring to help lift the Panthers to a No. 1 ranking in the polls.

Guro Rambjoer
Guro Rambjoer

An All-SSC performer as well, Rambjoer tallied two rounds in the 60’s and capped the year among the top 30 in the nation in: birdies (69), par-3 scoring (3.19) and par-4 scoring (4.26).

Tarleton State’s Isabel Jimenez-Perea garnered PING WGCA Division II Player of the Year honors, whereas Rollins head coach Julie Garner was tabbed Division II Golf Pride WGCA National Coach of the Year.

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The WGCA, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition.

Today, the WGCA represents nearly 600 coaches throughout the United States and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.