May 24, 2012

Junior Katherine Bell named MVP of women's golf squad

Katherine Bell has been named the Most Valuable Player of the Tennessee Tech women's golf team, and several additional team awards were announced this week by head coach Polk Brown to wrap up the 2011-12 season.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Katherine Bell has been named the Most Valuable Player of the Tennessee Tech women's golf team, and several additional team awards were announced this week by head coach Polk Brown to wrap up the 2011-12 season.

Bell, a junior from Jackson, Tenn., was also named a co-captain of the 2011-12 squad along with Amanda Randolph.

Bell completed her third season on the Golden Eagle roster and posted the low average on the team. Playing 21 rounds in 10 tournaments, she had a 79.9 stroke average with a low round of 73 that she posted during both the Great Smokies Invitational and the Pinehurst Invitational. She was 20th at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships, placing second on the team in the final meet of the year. Her top individual finish was 10^th place at the Murray State Drake Creek Invitational.

"Katherine has a tremendous amount of talent, and I except great things out of her in her senior season," Brown said. "She will set an example for the younger players."

Four other players received awards.

Sophomore Amber Shepherd received the Most Improved Player Award. A sophomore from Caryville, Tenn., she marked a fifth place individual finish at the Belmont Invitational where she carded an opening round 82 for her low round of the year. She had the third-lowest average on the team at 81.1 and was one of two players to see action in all 25 rounds in 11 tournaments.

The Most Dedicated Player Award was shared between Brandy VanEtten and Madalyn Everts.

Winning the Most Dedicated Award for the second consecutive season, VanEtten also captured the Best Putter Award. A sophomore from Jacksboro, Tenn., she finished the year with the second-lowest average on the team at 80.2 while posting one Top 10 finish and four efforts in the Top 20. Her best performance came at the Ann Rhoads Invitational in Birmingham with a 10^th place individual showing.

Everts, a freshman from Ooltewah, Tenn., also won the Impact Award in addition to her Most Dedicated honor. She actually scored the lowest average on the team at 78.3, but only saw action during four tournaments in the fall as an injury sidelined her for the remainder of the season. She played eight total rounds and carded her season low of 74 twice.

Randolph, a junior from Cookeville, won the Long Hitter Award in addition to being named co-captain. The other Golden Eagle to play all 25 rounds in 11 tournaments, Randolph was fourth on the team in average at 83.6 with one Top 20 finish and a low round of 70. She placed 17^th in the Chris Bannister Classic and fired a two-under 70 in the opening round of the Samford Intercollegiate.