Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Five Blue Raiders Named All-Conference
4/27/2016 11:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
MT dominates All-C-USA First and Second Teams
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – With a return trip to the NCAA Regionals right around the corner, Middle Tennessee has received prominent representation in the C-USA postseason awards as announced by the league office Wednesday.
Upperclassmen Avery George, Emily Miller and Samantha Gotcher were named First Team All-Conference USA selections while the freshmen duo of Hanley Long and Jenna Burris were both chosen to the All-C-USA Second Team.
"Having three all-conference teams in Conference USA gives a really good representation of who the top golfers are in this league," head coach Chris Adams said.
"To have five of the top nine scoring averages in the conference you really want to have them recognized for their body of work over the course of the season. I think that's what we got with where our players were placed on the all-conference teams."
George is making her third appearance as an all-conference selection and second straight on the All-C-USA First Team.
The Cleveland, Tenn., native logged a 73.4 stroke average on the year and notched her second career individual title at the Blue Raider Invitational in October. George finished with two top five finishes and five top 10 finishes and won two C-USA Golfer of the Week honors this season.
Miller joins her senior classmate on the All-C-USA First Team after being named to the Second Team a season ago.
A native of Livingston, Tenn., Miller averaged 73.6 strokes per round, the best mark of her career. She finished tied for third at the Conference USA Championships after firing a career low 67 in the final round and notched a total of three top five finishes and four top 10 finishes on the year and was named the C-USA Golfer of the Week on April 6.
Gotcher is receiving her first all-conference honor this season with her 74.1 stroke average and will be the leading returner for the Blue Raiders next season after the graduation of George and Miller.
The junior from Clarksville, Tenn., boasted two top fives and three top 10s this season. She notched a fifth-place finish at the C-USA Championship this season after finishing second on the same course a year ago when she shot a school record nine-under 207.
"To have those three upperclassmen and leaders on the first team is great," Adams stated. "These girls have played great this year and are very deserving of all of the honors they have received including these first team selections."
Long kicked off her Middle Tennessee career with a bang, firing a 74.9 stroke average as a true freshman to land on the All-Conference USA Second Team.
Also from Clarksville, the Blue Raider rookie fired a one-under par 215 at the Conference USA Championship last week to place as the individual runner-up, just one stroke behind Conference USA Golfer of the Year Meghan MacLaren of FIU.
Long became just the eighth freshman in the 21-year history of the Conference USA Championship to finish in the top two spots and the conference tournament.
Burris enjoyed a stellar freshman campaign as well, finishing off the season with a top 10 finish in her first appearance at the Conference USA Championship.
The Manchester, Tenn., native averaged 75.0 strokes per round on the year and played in all but one event for the Blue Raiders in the 2015-16 season with six rounds of par or better on the year.
"Any time you can get this kind of production out of freshmen is awesome," Adams said. "I knew they were great players and to get them in the lineup and get them some experience throughout the whole year was huge.
"They proved to be very valuable to this team and certainly played their way into those positions."
Middle Tennessee's spectacular season continues in the NCAA Regionals on May 5-7 when they compete as the No. 14 seed in Shoal Creek, Ala.
2016 Conference USA Specialty Awards
Golfer of the Year: Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Freshman of the Year: Julie Houston, UTSA
Most Improved Golfers: Sydney Snodgrass, UAB and Emily Alexander, WKU
Coach of the Year: Chris Adams, Middle Tennessee
2016 All-Conference USA First Team
Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Avery George, Middle Tennessee
Samantha Gotcher, Middle Tennessee
Emily Miller, Middle Tennessee
Ellinor Haag, WKU
2016 All-Conference USA Second Team
Jenna Burris, Middle Tennessee
Hanley Long, Middle Tennessee
Maggie Simmermacher, Old Dominion
Julie Houston, UTSA
Nikki Long, UTSA
2016 All-Conference USA Third Team
Carla Jane, FIU
Camila Serrano, FIU
Charlotte De Corte, Old Dominion
Katerina Vlasinova, Old Dominon
Georgina Blackman, WKU
Upperclassmen Avery George, Emily Miller and Samantha Gotcher were named First Team All-Conference USA selections while the freshmen duo of Hanley Long and Jenna Burris were both chosen to the All-C-USA Second Team.
"Having three all-conference teams in Conference USA gives a really good representation of who the top golfers are in this league," head coach Chris Adams said.
"To have five of the top nine scoring averages in the conference you really want to have them recognized for their body of work over the course of the season. I think that's what we got with where our players were placed on the all-conference teams."
George is making her third appearance as an all-conference selection and second straight on the All-C-USA First Team.
The Cleveland, Tenn., native logged a 73.4 stroke average on the year and notched her second career individual title at the Blue Raider Invitational in October. George finished with two top five finishes and five top 10 finishes and won two C-USA Golfer of the Week honors this season.
Miller joins her senior classmate on the All-C-USA First Team after being named to the Second Team a season ago.
A native of Livingston, Tenn., Miller averaged 73.6 strokes per round, the best mark of her career. She finished tied for third at the Conference USA Championships after firing a career low 67 in the final round and notched a total of three top five finishes and four top 10 finishes on the year and was named the C-USA Golfer of the Week on April 6.
Gotcher is receiving her first all-conference honor this season with her 74.1 stroke average and will be the leading returner for the Blue Raiders next season after the graduation of George and Miller.
The junior from Clarksville, Tenn., boasted two top fives and three top 10s this season. She notched a fifth-place finish at the C-USA Championship this season after finishing second on the same course a year ago when she shot a school record nine-under 207.
"To have those three upperclassmen and leaders on the first team is great," Adams stated. "These girls have played great this year and are very deserving of all of the honors they have received including these first team selections."
Long kicked off her Middle Tennessee career with a bang, firing a 74.9 stroke average as a true freshman to land on the All-Conference USA Second Team.
Also from Clarksville, the Blue Raider rookie fired a one-under par 215 at the Conference USA Championship last week to place as the individual runner-up, just one stroke behind Conference USA Golfer of the Year Meghan MacLaren of FIU.
Long became just the eighth freshman in the 21-year history of the Conference USA Championship to finish in the top two spots and the conference tournament.
Burris enjoyed a stellar freshman campaign as well, finishing off the season with a top 10 finish in her first appearance at the Conference USA Championship.
The Manchester, Tenn., native averaged 75.0 strokes per round on the year and played in all but one event for the Blue Raiders in the 2015-16 season with six rounds of par or better on the year.
"Any time you can get this kind of production out of freshmen is awesome," Adams said. "I knew they were great players and to get them in the lineup and get them some experience throughout the whole year was huge.
"They proved to be very valuable to this team and certainly played their way into those positions."
Middle Tennessee's spectacular season continues in the NCAA Regionals on May 5-7 when they compete as the No. 14 seed in Shoal Creek, Ala.
2016 Conference USA Specialty Awards
Golfer of the Year: Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Freshman of the Year: Julie Houston, UTSA
Most Improved Golfers: Sydney Snodgrass, UAB and Emily Alexander, WKU
Coach of the Year: Chris Adams, Middle Tennessee
2016 All-Conference USA First Team
Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Avery George, Middle Tennessee
Samantha Gotcher, Middle Tennessee
Emily Miller, Middle Tennessee
Ellinor Haag, WKU
2016 All-Conference USA Second Team
Jenna Burris, Middle Tennessee
Hanley Long, Middle Tennessee
Maggie Simmermacher, Old Dominion
Julie Houston, UTSA
Nikki Long, UTSA
2016 All-Conference USA Third Team
Carla Jane, FIU
Camila Serrano, FIU
Charlotte De Corte, Old Dominion
Katerina Vlasinova, Old Dominon
Georgina Blackman, WKU
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
Spring Sports Show hosted by The Boulevard – April 28, 2025: Women's Golf and Men's Golf
Tuesday, April 29
"The Middle" - MT Athletics 2019 Lip Dub
Friday, April 26
@MT_WGolf NCAA Regional - Day 3
Saturday, May 07
