Indiana University Athletics
Dennison An All-American
5/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University junior Karen Dennison continues to pinch herself, but all it has done in the past month is hurt. Dennison's dream season has taken yet another "fairy-tale-like" turn, as the Madison, Ind., native has been awarded first team All-America honors.
Dennison was named to the National Golf Coaches Association's 2003 All-America team at the conclusion of the 2003 NCAA Women's Golf Championships, this past weekend, in West Lafayette.
In the illustrious 22-year history of the Indiana women's golf program, Dennison is just the third Hoosier All-American to earn first-team honors. Of the eight All-Americans in school history, only Erika Wicoff (1995, 1996) and Erin Carney (1998) have captured first-team accolades. She is the first Hoosier to earn NGCA All-America honors since Natalie Tucker was named honorable mention in 2000.
"I'm just very surprised and excited," exclaimed Dennison. "Words really can't describe what I'm feeling right now. This is truly the highlight of my career."
Dennison is one of 11 golfers to be honored to the first-team. Along with the IU junior, the NGCA awarded first-team laurels to 2003 NCAA Champion Mikaela Parmlid of Southern California, third-place finisher Erica Blasberg of Arizona, and 2002 NCAA Champion, Duke's Virada Nirapathpongporn.
A total of four golfers from the Big Ten Conference were named to the All-America teams, however Dennison is the conference's lone representative on the first team. Ohio State's Allison Hanna and Kristen White, and Penn State's Katie Futcher, were the other three honored from the Big Ten.
"I think what really amazes me about this honor, is that I feel I have so much more to improve with my golf game," Dennison said. "There are so many good players that were deserving of this honor. I'm privileged and grateful to be one of them."
Dennison's honor is her second nationally-recognized accolade this past week. Early last week, she accepted one of two sponsor's exemptions to the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic in Vienna, Ohio, June 9-15. The event will mark Dennison's first professional golf tournament.
For more information on Dennison's LPGA debut, CLICK HERE!
NATIONAL GOLF COACHES ASSOCIATION
2002-2003 DIVISION I AWARD WINNERS
2003 NGCA Division I Player of the Year
Katherine Hull - Pepperdine University
2003 Golfstat Cup
Erica Blasberg - University of Arizona
2003 Dinah Shore Trophy Award
Katherine Hull - Pepperdine University
2003 Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award
Alena Sharp - New Mexico State University
2003 NGCA Division I Softspikes Freshman of the Year
Erica Blasberg - University of Arizona
2003 NGCA Division I Regional Coaches of the Year
East Region: Sue Bower, Tulane University
Central Region: Amy Weeks, Oklahoma State University
West Region: Laurie Gibbs, Pepperdine University; Nancy McDaniel, University of California Berkeley (co-recipients)
2003 NGCA Division I National Coach of the Year
Nancy McDaniel - University of California Berkeley
2003 NGCA DIVISION I ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS
1st Team
Erica Blasberg, University of Arizona
Karen Dennison, Indiana University
Katherine Hull, Pepperdine University
Elizabeth Janangelo, Duke University
Charlotte Mayorkas, UCLA
Kristy McPherson, University of South Carolina
Virada Nirapathpongporn, Duke University
Mikaela Parmlid, USC
Sarah Sasse, University of Nebraska
Alena Sharp, New Mexico State University
Lindsey Wright, Pepperdine University
2nd Team
Nuria Clau, Wake Forest University
Katie Futcher, Penn State University
Allison Hanna, Ohio State University
Brandi Jackson, Furman University
Vikki Laing, University of California Berkeley
Jessica Reese, University of Texas
Violeta Retamoza, University of Tennessee
Celeste Troche, Auburn University
Kristen White, Ohio State University
Honorable Mention
Aimee Cho, University of Florida
Irene Cho, USC
Danielle Downey, Auburn University
Kailin Downs, University of New Mexico
Leigh Anne Hardin, Duke University
Sarah Huarte, University of California Berkeley
Lindsay Morgan, University of Washington
Sunny Oh, UNLV
Janice Olivencia, University of Texas
Ashley Prange, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Karin Sjodin, Oklahoma State University
Kristin Tamulis, Florida State University
Annie Thurman, Oklahoma State University
Andrea Vander Lende, University of Florida
Kim Welch, Washington State University
Linda Wessberg, Oklahoma State University
Courtney Wood, Vanderbilt University
