Fassi Named SEC Female Athlete of the Year
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Women’s Golf graduate Maria Fassi was named the 2019 Roy F. Kramer SEC Female Athlete of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday. Florida track & field athlete Grant Holloway won the SEC Male Athlete of the Year award.
Fassi becomes just the second-ever female athlete from Arkansas to win the SEC’s highest honor, joining Amy Yoder Begley, who won the award back in 2001. Arkansas has had five other winners outside of Yoder Begley, but they were all male winners. She is also one of just three golfers to ever win the award, joining Vicki Goetze (Georgia, 1992) and Brooke Pancake (Alabama, 2012).
“For Maria Fassi to win this award speaks volumes to what she did this season on and off the golf course,” Coach Shauna Taylor said. “She was determined to leave her forever mark on our team and university and this is another award that recognizes her outstanding play and engraves her name in our history books forever. I’m so grateful for the impact Maria had on my life, but more importantly for the contributions she made to help our team, our university, and our community.”
Fassi was spectacular in her final collegiate season, winning both the SEC and NCAA individual titles. Due to her masterful performance in her last season in Fayetteville, Fassi was named the Ping WGCA Player of the Year, while also becoming the first to ever win back-to-back ANNIKA Awards, given to the best female collegiate golfer. She was also named the SEC’s Player of the Year and an SEC First-Teamer for the second straight season, while earning WGCA First-Team and Golfweek First-Team All-American honors.
Fassi’s 71.12 scoring average this past season was the second-best single-season average in Razorback history, topped only by her 70.50 average from the 2017-18 season. She also became one of just two Razorbacks ever to post double-digit tournament wins (10) and notch more than 60 rounds (64) at or below par, joining Arkansas Legend and former LPGA No. 1, Stacy Lewis. On top of it all, she earned a runner-up finish at the first-ever Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April. Fassi even got off to a fast start in her professional career, roaring back to place 12th overall at the Women’s US Open after nearly missing the cut.
The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The award was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former Commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.
More Information
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