MELBOURNE, Fla. – Highlighted by Hanna Ahlander's Freshman of the Year honor, the Nova Southeastern men's and women's golf teams hauled in a combined five All-Sunshine State Conference accolades on Friday afternoon.
Juan Jose Guerra earned a repeat first-team selection on the men's side, while three others joined Ahlander on the women's side. Sofia Garcia Austt collected her first career first-team nod, with both Aldana Foigel and Sophie Madden being named to the All-SSC Second Team.
Following an All-American campaign a year ago, Guerra has lived up to the billing once more as a senior. Over the course of 10 tournaments this year, the native of the Dominican Republic has racked up three wins, including back-to-back victories this spring at the Saint Leo Invitational and the Southeastern Collegiate. Guerra also placed seventh at The Goodwin hosted by Stanford, and less than two weeks ago, captured a runner-up finish at the SSC Championship. He fired a low round of 64 in late February, helping bring his scoring average to an impressive 70.50, and will head into regional play as the No. 2 golfer in all of NCAA Division II.
Ahlander becomes the fifth player in program history, and first since 2013, to win SSC Freshman of the Year thanks a strong 2018-19 in which she claimed third at the SSC Championship. At the start of April, the Swede recorded a runner-up finish at the Argonaut Invitational, and currently owns a scoring average of 74.96, which ranks 12th among all SSC golfers.
As a sophomore, Garcia Austt elevated her game, garnering her first career win at the World Golf Invitational to go along with three other Top-5 finishes. She twice fired rounds of 67, contributing to her current scoring average of 73.81. With regional action less than two weeks away, Garcia Austt sits as the No. 9 ranked player in Division II.
A year removed from an injury-plagued junior season, Foigel returned to form in 2018-19, landing on the All-SSC Second Team for the second time in her Nova Southeastern career. The senior from Argentina registered four Top-10 finishes, including three straight at one point, with a season-best, sixth-place finish coming at the Argonaut Invitational, With an adjusted scoring average of 74.39, Foigel ranks just outside the nation's Top-25 at No. 26.
Madden, meanwhile, finds herself as an All-SSC member for the second time in as many years. The native of Essex, England opened the fall with a bang, posting consecutive wins at both the Jacksonville Classic and Shark Invitational, before tallying four more Top-10 finishes. Madden boasts a team-best scoring average of 73.45, and currently ranks 10th in Division II after climbing all the way to No.1 earlier this year.
Barry's Jorge Garcia and Jimmy Stobs were awarded SSC Men's Golfer of the Year and Coach of the Year, while Florida Southern's Max Coutsolioutsos was named Freshman of the Year.
Kiira Riihijarvi of Tampa took home the SSC Women's Golfer of the Year award, with Coach of the Year handed out to Lynn's Marcelo Huarte.
For a complete list of the men's and women's golf All-SSC teams, visit sunshinestateconference.com.
