NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina senior Malene Krolboll Hansen was named the Sun Belt Conference Women's Golfer of the Year for the second consecutive season, as voted upon by the league's 10 head coaches with Coastal's Sena Ersoy and head coach Katie Quinney also receiving honors.
Ersoy was named the league's Newcomer of the Year and Quinney was tabbed as the Women's Golf Head Coach of the Year. South Alabama's Siti Shaari was named the league's Freshman of the Year.
Hansen, a senior from Taastrup, Denmark, closed out her career at CCU at the top of every individual statistic in program history. She finished 2018 with a 71.75 stroke average to go along with her three wins. She was the individual medalist at the 2018 Sun Belt Championship after carding a two-under 211 over three rounds. She finished fourth in 2017 at the event.
She had seven top-five finishes in 2018 in her 32 rounds played. Hansen finished her career at CCU with a 72.56 scoring average with 17 top-five finishes and four wins. Her scoring average is the best in school history by nearly two strokes.
A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Ersoy joined the Chants for the 2017-18 season, playing in all four fall events as well as six events in the spring. She finished the season with a 74.06 scoring average. Ersoy posted eight rounds of par or better, had two top-five finishes this season, and was the runner-up at the Sun Belt Championship.
Shaari, a freshman from Subangjaya, Malaysia, paved the way for the Jaguars in 2018. She played in all 10 events this season and led USA with a 74.04 stroke average, which ranked second only to CCU's Hansen.
Shaari had six top-10 finishes, including a win at the Bama Beach Bash. Shaari posted 12 rounds of 72 or better in 2018.
CCU's Quinney has been at the helm of the Chanticleer women's golf program for more than 10 years and has led CCU to five conference championships and seven NCAA tournament appearances during her tenure. This season the Chants set a new program record with a 293.63 scoring average. The Chants won two tournaments this season, including the Sun Belt Championship, and finished in the top 10 in nine tournaments played this season.
The 2018 Coach of the Year honor for Quinney was her first in the Sun Belt and fourth overall.
In addition, the Sun Belt also announced it’s 12-member all-conference teams. Six individuals were selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team and six individuals were selected to the All-Sun Belt Second Team.
CCU led the way with four total selections between the two teams followed by South Alabama and Texas State with two each.
Women’s Golf First Team All-Conference
Sena Ersoy, Coastal Carolina
Malene Krolboll Hansen, Coastal Carolina
Frantiska Lunackova, Coastal Carolina
Siti Shaari, South Alabama
Anne-Charlotte Mora, Texas State
Sasikarn Somboonsup, Texas State
Women’s Golf Second Team All-Conference
Sabrina Bonanno, Little Rock
Marie Lunackova, Coastal Carolina
Ella Ofstedahl, Georgia Southern
Chloe Howard, Georgia State
Madison Connell, South Alabama
Ava Schwienteck, UTA
Women’s Golfer of the Year
Malene Krolboll Hansen, Coastal Carolina
Women’s Golf Freshman of the Year
Siti Shaari, South Alabama
Women’s Golf Newcomer of the Year
Sena Ersoy, Coastal Carolina
Women’s Golf Coach of the Year
Katie Quinney, Coastal Carolina