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Washington University Golfer Annie Mascot Honored as Ping WGCA Player of the Year

Washington University Golfer Annie Mascot Honored as Ping WGCA Player of the Year

From Washington University Athletics

Freshman Annie Mascot of the Washington University in St. Louis women's golf team has been named the 2019-20 Division III PING Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Player of the Year, as announced Tuesday by the organization.

As the 2019-20 Division III WGCA Freshman of the Year, Mascot becomes the first freshman to sweep both major awards since 2012 (Olivia Lugar, WashU). She is also the second player in school history to be named National Player of the Year.

Mascot acceptance video: https://vimeo.com/412101106

"It is an incredible honor to be selected as the 2020 Division III Ping WGCA Player of the Year," said Mascot. "I couldn't have asked for a better start to my collegiate athletic career, and I am more than excited to see what the future holds."

A native of Agoura Hills, Calif., Mascot ranked first in NCAA Division III in scoring average (72.55) and recorded rounds in the 70s or lower in all 11 rounds she played in during the 2019-20 season. She finished in the top-three in every tournament, including wins at the I-70 Dual, Rhodes Classic and Arkansas State Lady Red Wolves Classic.

"Annie came to WashU ready to compete. Her ability to win reflects her focus in training and her dedication to the steps of performing," said WashU head coach Mary Swanson. "We are proud of her first-year campaign and know that she can continue to compete at a high level over the next three years!"

Throughout her freshman campaign, she broke school records in single season scoring average, 36-hole score (139) and 54-hole score (211).  Mascot was a first-team All-America, all-Region and all-UAA selection, and earned UAA Athlete of the Week honors three times.

Recognized annually as the top honor in women's collegiate golf, the PING WGCA Player of the Year Award is awarded to the best player in Division I, II III and NAIA women's golf. The award was first given in 1987 and the names of recipients reads as a who's who of the best of the ladies' game. The recipient is selected by a prestigious collection of women's collegiate golf coaches who follow criteria that has been established to identify the finest player for the past year. These criteria include:

•          Head to head competition
•          Comparison with common opponents
•          Scoring average 
•          Place finishes in regular season events and tournament wins
•          Strength of schedule 

The Women's Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women's collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 600 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.