Smith unveils Golden Eagle women's golf postseason honors for 2022-23
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech golf coach Amanda Smith released the annual postseason honors for the Golden Eagle women's team Friday, presenting four student-athletes with awards earned for the 2022-23 season.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech golf coach Amanda Smith released the annual postseason honors for the Golden Eagle women's team Friday, presenting four student-athletes with awards earned for the 2022-23 season.
Taking home the Most Valuable Player Award for the women's team was junior Ainsley Simms. The Most Improved Player Award went to freshman Kaydi Rhodes while the Coach's Award was presented to senior Makenzie Morton. Sophomore Reagan Stuke marked the team's Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership winner.
For the first time in her career, Simms earned team MVP honors after pacing the Golden Eagles in scoring average during her junior campaign. Competing in all nine events for the purple and gold, she turned in a career-best 77.26 mark while earning All-OVC Team honors and a pair of top-10 finishes.
The junior delivered a career-low round of 70 at the Golfweek Fall Challenge, posting a 221 overall. To end the season, she just missed out on an All-Tournament honor at the OVC Championships, tying for seventh overall.
In her first season competing for the Golden Eagles, Rhodes took part in five of the team's nine events, delivering an 82.71 scoring average. After representing the purple and gold in one fall tournament, she played in four during the spring, delivering a season-best 231 at the Pinetree Women's Collegiate.
"It has been great to watch the turnaround that Kaydi has made from the fall to spring season," Smith said. "As a freshman, it can be difficult to transition into the college schedule and time commitments, but Kaydi was very diligent with her time and schoolwork, and that made it easier in the spring for her game to come alive. I'm excited to see the growth she can bring to not only her game but the direction of this team."
Morton turned in the best season of her Tech career in 2022-23, slashing nearly four whole strokes from her previous season-best scoring average with a mark of 80.86. At the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate, she posted a top-10 finish with a career-best round of 74 to open the event.
"It has been amazing watching this young woman grow over the last four years," Smith explained. "Morton has been such a staple on this team for camaraderie and teamwork. She is truly a great teammate and can just help anyone by listening in and providing advice on and off the course. She took it upon herself to put in the extra hours and it truly paid off with an outstanding year and finish to the season at the OVC Championships."
Securing the Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership for the first time, Stuke participated in six different tournaments on the year while providing incredible energy and positivity throughout the year. Finishing the year with an 83.81 scoring average, the sophomore tied her career-low round of 77 twice during the season, including the final go-around at the OVC Championships.
"This young lady not only preaches leadership, but she exemplifies it," Smith said. "She never asks her teammates to do something she wouldn't do. She is constantly bringing her teammates and coaches up to high levels. It is going to be awesome to watch Reagan build on her career these next two years."
The Most Valuable Player Award and the Most Improved Player Award have both been presented since 1994. The Coach's Award and Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership were established for the 2019-20 season, replacing a few other honors from the past.
The Coach's Award goes to the player displaying the best attitude, most dedication, and biggest impact to the team for the given year. The Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership, named after the late, Hall of Fame head coach, is presented to the player who has shown and provided the most leadership on the team during the given year.
Women's Awards
Most Valuable Player: Ainsley Simms
Most Improved Player: Kaydi Rhodes
Coach's Award: Makenzie Morton
Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership: Reagan Stuke
