May 26, 2005
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University freshman Louise Stahle has swept the national women's golf awards this season, earning the 2005 National Golf Coaches Association Eleanor Dudley Division I Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.
ASU third-year head coach Melissa Luellen has been named the NGCA Division I West Region Coach of the Year after leading the Sun Devils to three tournament victories this year. Luellen's squad earned top 10 finishes in 11 of 12 events in 2004-05, including a tie for eighth place at last week's NCAA Championships.
That marks the second time that Luellen has been recognized by her coaches' organization. She was previously named the Central Region Coach of the Year in 2002 while at her alma mater, the University of Tulsa.
A 2005 first-team NCGA All-American, Stahle also captured the 2005 Golfstat Cup after leading the nation in stroke average this season at 71.77. She is the fifth Sun Devil to win the NGCA's Player of the Year award and the first since Grace Park in 1998.
Stahle, who announced her decision to pursue a career in professional golf after just one season at ASU this spring, won three tournaments this year, including the 2005 Pac-10 individual championship. She finished in the top five in eight of 10 events she played in and was named the 2005 Pac-10 Golfer and Freshman of the Year.