Scott, LaHa, Cusack Named to WGCA Fall Watchlists

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (VR) – The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) announced today (Nov. 3) its inaugural fall watchlists for the Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride, PING WGCA Player of the Year, and WGCA Freshman of the Year Presented by StrackaLine. 

Head coach Ria Scott was named to the Jackie Steinmann National Coach of the Year watchlist while Jaclyn LaHa (No. 2 NCAA) and Zoe Cusack (No. 7 NCAA) were each named to the Player of the Year watchlist. Cusack was also named to the Freshman of the Year watchlist. 

Scott guided the Cavaliers to the program’s first No. 1 ranking at the conclusion of the fall season as the Cavaliers won three team titles in their five fall tournaments. The Cavaliers also recorded a pair of team runner-up finishes and never finished outside the top-six. Scott has also guided three individuals to top-20 rankings including LaHa (No. 2), Cusack (No. 7) and Miranda Lu (No. 18). 

LaHa led the Cavaliers through the fall slate logging four top-five finishes in five events while finishing inside the top-15 in each event. She recorded back-to-back wins at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational and Windy City Collegiate Classic. In in 14 rounds of play LaHa has recorded nine rounds in the sixties for a stroke average of 69.6. 

Cusack lands on the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year watchlists after a spectacular collegiate debut in which she competed in five events while logging three top-five finishes without landing outside the top-14. She ranks second on the team with five rounds in the sixties and a stroke average of 70.7. 

The Cavaliers will open their spring slate Jan. 29-30 when the team hosts the annual Collegiate Invitational at GCC in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride Watchlist 

South Region: 

Melissa Luellen – _Auburn University 

Janice Olivencia – University of Miami 

Kory Henkes – University of Mississippi 

Kalen Anderson – University of South Carolina 

Diana Cantu – University of Tennessee 

East Region: 

Ria Scott – University of Virginia 

Kim Lewellen – Wake Forest University 

Dan Brooks – Duke University 

Erika DeSanty – Princeton University 

Carol Robertson – Virginia Tech University 

Central Region: 

Laura Ianello – University of Texas 

Gerrod Chadwell – Texas A&M University 

Shauna Taylor – University of Arkansas 

Christie Martens – Iowa State University 

West Region: 

Justin Silverstein – University of Southern California 

Anne Walker – Stanford University 

Derek Radley – University of Oregon 

Missy Farr-Kaye – Arizona State University 

Alicia Um Holmes – University of California, Los Angeles

PING WGCA Player of the Year Watchlist 

Anna Davis – Auburn University 

Rianne Malixi – Duke University

Thanana Kotchasanmanee – Princeton University 

Meja Örtengren – Stanford University 

Maria Jose Marin – University of Arkansas 

Farah O’Keefe – University of Texas 

Jaclyn LaHa – University of Virginia 

Zoe Cusack – University of Virginia 

Valentine Delon – Virginia Tech University 

Chloe Kovelesky – Wake Forest University 

Macy Pate – Wake Forest University

WGCA Freshman of the Year Presented by StrackaLine Watchlist 

Gia Raad – Auburn University 

Mia Hammond – Duke University 

Manon Petitcolas – University of Alabama 

Celina Yeo – University of Oregon 

Zoe Cusack – University of Virginia 

Benedicte Brent-Petersen – Wake Forest University