Hawkins gets player of the year honor, Strudwick named coach of the year

^{Coach Suzanne Strudwick with C-N’s Meridith Hawkins.}.

(April 10, 2014)– Carson-Newman sophomore Meridith Hawkins(Powell, Tenn.) has been named the South Atlantic Conference co-Player of the year and head women’s golf coach Suzanne Strudwick the league coach of the year, the conference office announced Thursday. In addition, Danielle Baiunco (Melbourne, Fla.) and Kelli Pemberton (Knoxville, Tenn.) were also named honorable mention All-SAC.

Hawkins is the first player of the year honoree for C-N since Jessica Tarbet won the honor in 2011 and the third in the Eagles’ history. Strudwick is Carson-Newman’s first coach of the year honoree.

Hawkins shares the player of the year honor with Wingate’s Johanna Neumann. Strudwick shares the coach of the year honor with Wingate’s Jerry Surratt.

Hawkins turned in a 78.1 stroke average for her sophomore year. Out of eight events, Hawkins finished in the top 20 four times and earned all-tournament honors at the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate and the World Golf Invitational.

She has the only two par/under-par rounds for Carson-Newman women’s golf this season. She shot a 71 in the second round of the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate and a 72 in the final round of the World Golf Invitational.

Baiunco produced an 80.9 stroke average for the year bolstered by a top-10 finish at the Agnes McAmis Memorial in the Eagles’ final tournament of the regular season. She had her best round – a 76 – at the Guy Harvey Invitational in early October.

Pemberton garnered the final spot on the honorable mention all-conference team with her 81.6 stroke average. She has one sub-80 round for the year.

This is the first year since 2010 that Carson-Newman has had three players win All-SAC honors. In that year, Sarah Jane Sinard and Jessica Tarbet made the first team; Erica Ray and Melanie Manis brought home second team honors.

The Eagles will take to the Highlands Course in Sevierville for the 2014 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Golf Championships.

^{-C-N Sports Information Office}