Purdue golfer Gonzalez-Escallon named 2nd-team All-American
From Purdue Sports Information
FRANKLIN, TENN. – The National Golf Coaches Association announced the postseason awards for Division I Women’s Golf at a banquet on Friday evening in Franklin, Tenn., and junior Laura Gonzalez-Escallon was tabbed second team All-American for the second-consecutive year. The Big Ten Golfer of the Year also was named to the NGCA All-Region Team for the NCAA Central Regional.
Juniors Gonzalez-Escallon, Paula Reto and Kishi Sinha and freshmen Aurora Kan and Vicky Scherer comprised the roster for the 2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships. The Boilermakers were making their 13th-straight appearance – all under head coach Devon Brouse – a feat matched by only two other programs (Arizona State and Southern California). Purdue finished ninth, earning its seventh-consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA finals.
Duke’s Lindy Duncan won the Ping NGCA Player of the Year award and Alabama head coach Mic Potter was tabbed Coach of the Year after guiding his team to its first national championship.
Gonzalez-Escallon led Purdue with a tie for third at the NCAA Championships with a one-under par 287. The La Huple, Belgium, native also was the low finisher for Purdue in last year’s NCAA finals, earning third place and helping the Boilermakers to a runner-up finish as a team.
Gonzalez-Escallon won her second Big Ten Championships medal on April 29, which was the fifth-straight for Purdue and helped the Boilermakers to a second-place finish. In the NCAA Central Regional, she was low golfer for the Boilermakers, tying for 10th place. Gonzalez-Escallon earned eight top-10 placings this season, including the Big Ten title and two runner-up finishes and only finished outside the top 15 once. She tied a 16-year-old school record for low individual round when she fired a 65 on Feb. 13 at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.
In her third year at Purdue, Gonzalez-Escallon adds second team All-American to her already impressive list of awards and honors. Just this season, Gonzalez-Escallon was named Big Ten Golfer of the Year, first team All-Big Ten for the third time, the Mary Fossum Award winner for low stroke average in the Big Ten, Big Ten All-Championships team and Big Ten Golfer of the Week twice.
Coming into the NCAA Championships, Gonzalez-Escallon was ranked No. 20 as an individual by Golfweek and she finished the season with a team-low 73.12 stroke average.
Gonzalez-Escallon and several of her teammates will attend the U.S. Open qualifier in St. Louis, Mo., on Tuesday in an effort to earn a spot to compete in the event as an amateur.
