Four members of the Emory University women's golf team have been selected to the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Scholar All-America Team as announced by the organization earlier this week.
The quartet includes rising juniors Irene Wang, Mariana Chong as well as rising sophomores Sharon Mun and Ellen Dong.
Wang was one of the more consistent members for the Eagles this season, earning All-Region and All-UAA acclaim. She finished the season with the third best scoring average at 73.9 strokes per round, taking part in eight tournaments and finished in the top 10 in three of them. Wang helped the Eagles earn their first ever UAA Championship title with a 2 & 1 victory in the two hole as part of the team's tight 3-2 victory over NYU in the match-play contest and played a pivotal role in the Eagles earning their first ever national championship as she wrapped up the tournament with the third highest score for the Eagles carding a 72-hole total of 298 (72-79-75-73) to finish tied for 17th.
Chong earned her second consecutive All-Region nod as she was one of three Eagles to compete in every tournament this year. Chong finished her season with a scoring average of 76.6 strokes per round which improved on her freshman year mark by over three strokes a round. Competing at the NCAA DIII Golf Championships, Chong finished with a four-day total of 304 (79-79-72-74) to help the Eagles secure their first ever national title. Chong's best performance of the season came at the MCC Intercollegiate where she finished with a 36-hole total of 147 (75-72), a personal best, to finish tied for 14th at tournament's end.
Mun had a phenomenal debut season for the Eagles, being named the National Freshman of the Year to go along with First Team All-America, First Team All-Region and First Team All-UAA recognition. Mun led the team throughout the season, setting the program record for scoring average with 73.2 strokes per round while finishing in the top 12 at each of the eight tournaments she participated in this year. Mun was rock-solid for the Eagles at the NCAA DIII Golf Championships, recording a 294 (73-73-73-75) to finish second for Emory and in a tie for 11th to help lead the Eagles to their first ever national championship. At the UAA Championship, Mun was pivotal in helping Emory secure its first ever UAA title winning in the three spot in 19 holes to give the Eagles a 3-2 edge over Carnegie Mellon in the match-play contest.
Dong rounds out the Scholar All-America honors after a wrapping up a historic rookie season with the Blue and Gold. Dong was instrumental in helping the Eagles win the national title as she captured the individual national championship to become the second golfer in school history to win an individual title and first since 1991. Dong tallied a 289 (75-68-72-74) to tie her for the championship lead at the end of 72-holes and won the title in a tense one-hole playoff over George Fox's Alison Takamiya. Dong's four-round score of 289 established the new NCAA Championship tournament record and her second round score of 68 also marked the lowest score in a single round in championship history. Dong finished second on the team in scoring average over the course of the season with 73.4 strokes per round and at the UAA Tournament, Dong's performance was vital to the Eagles winning their first ever conference crown as she was named tournament MVP for her 3 & 2 victory in the one spot over NYU.
To be eligible for the WGCA All-America Scholar Team, an athlete must have a GPA of 3.50 or higher, played in at least 50 percent of the rounds completed by their team and have high moral character. A total of 1,485 players were honored across the three NCAA divisions.