NEW ORLEANS — Following a vote of the conference’s 11 head coaches, South Alabama’s Julie Hovland, Coastal Carolina’s Nicole Abelar, ULM’s Chantal Dueringer and Coastal Carolina’s Katie Quinney received the Sun Belt Conference’s women’s golf postseason honors. The conference office also announced the 2021 Women’s Golf All-Sun Belt Teams Wednesday.
South Alabama’s Hovland was named the Sun Belt Women’s Golfer of the Year; Coastal Carolina’s Abelar was selected as the Freshman of the Year; ULM’s Chantal Dueringer was tabbed as the Newcomer of the Year and Coastal Carolina’s Quinney was dubbed the Coach of the Year.
Hovland paced the Sun Belt with a 71.81 scoring average across 26 rounds. The Bergen, Norway, native averaged .08 strokes under par, while posting seven Top 10 finishes in nine tournament appearances. She was the individual medalist at the USA Intercollegiate and the Lady Red Wolves Classic and finished tied for third at the 2021 Sun Belt Women’s Golf Championship.
Abelar led all Sun Belt freshmen and ranked fifth in the conference with a 73.65 scoring average through 20 rounds. The Metro Manila, Philippines, product averaged 1.65 strokes over par and had three runner-up finishes in eight tournaments during the 2020-21 campaign.
Dueringer posted a 73.87 scoring average through 23 rounds—good for seventh in the conference. The Bregenz, Austria, native averaged 1.87 strokes over par and tallied five Top 10 finishes in eight tournaments this season.
Quinney guided Coastal Carolina to a 296.19 scoring average—8.19 strokes over par—during the 2020-21 campaign. The Chanticleers won the 2021 Sun Belt Women’s Golf Championship, the second in program history, with a 36-hole score of 14-under par 562.
Sun Belt champion Coastal Carolina (1 First Team, 2 Second Team) and runner-up Texas State (2 First Team, 1 Second Team) each produced three All-Sun Belt golfers, while South Alabama joined Texas State in having a pair of golfers named to the All-Sun Belt First Team.
Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, ULM and Troy also boasted an honoree on the All-Sun Belt teams, giving 7-of-11 teams representation among the postseason award winners.
Coastal Carolina represented the Sun Belt in NCAA Regionals, alongside Sun Belt Women’s Golfer of the Year Hovland, who earned an individual berth.
Golfer of the Year
Julie Hovland, South Alabama
Freshman of the Year
Nicole Abelar, Coastal Carolina
Newcomer of the Year
Chantal Dueringer, ULM
Coach of the Year
Katie Quinney, Coastal Carolina
All-Sun Belt First Team
Nicole Abelar, Coastal Carolina
Alberte Thuesen, Georgia Southern
Julie Hovland, South Alabama
Siti Shaari, South Alabama
Marine Griffaut, Texas State
Geraldine Wong, Texas State
All-Sun Belt Second Team
Olivia Schmidt, Arkansas State
Tiffany Arafi, Coastal Carolina
Sophia Carlsen, Coastal Carolina
Chantal Dueringer, ULM
Noramol Nuchsila, Texas State
Nicole Lorup, Troy