Adams Coach of the Year; Three Named All-C-USA

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Fresh off the first league title and NCAA berth in program history, Middle Tennessee was well represented on the Conference USA women's golf postseason awards announced on Wednesday. Head Coach Chris Adams has been named Conference USA Coach of the Year, senior Allie Knight and junior Avery George were named to the all-conference first team, and junior Emily Miller was voted as a second-team selection.

Adams has led the Blue Raiders to new heights in what has been without question the most successful campaign in the 14th year of the program.

Middle Tennessee captured four team titles in 2014-15, nearly half of the total from the previous 13 years combined. The Blue Raiders finished third or better in eight of 10 tournaments, while establishing new team lows for a single round and three-round tournament total. MT claimed the league championship by eight strokes and became the first team to shoot under 300 in all three rounds in the tournament's history.

It's the second award for Adams in her eighth year, as she was tabbed the 2012 Sun Belt Coach of the Year.

A native of Cleveland, Tennessee, George was selected all-conference for the second straight year after leading MT with a stroke average of 72.7 and a team-high 12 rounds of par or better. George carded the two-lowest rounds of the season for MT, including a school record 64 in the third round of the Johnie Imes Invitational. George finished among the top five on four occasions, including a first-place tie with Miller at the Blue Raider Invitational. Last week, George tied for fourth at the C-USA championship and was named to the all-tournament team.

Knight, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, has played all 30 rounds this season and ranks second on the team with a 74.0 stroke average. She won her first individual title at the Kansas City Shootout after tying her career-low score of 69 in the final round, which led to her being recognized as C-USA Golfer of the Week. It's the first postseason award for Knight after nine rounds of par or better and four top-10 finishes so far.

Miller, a native of Livingston, Tennessee, is the most improved golfer on this year's team after lowering her stroke average of 76.6 from last season to 74.3 this year. It's the first postseason award for Miller, who is tied for the team lead with six top-10 finishes. She was named C-USA Golfer of the Week in the fall, after claiming her first individual title when she edged out George during a playoff at the Blue Raider Invitational. Miller is second on the team with 11 rounds of par of better and shot a career-low 68 in the third round of the Johnie Imes Invitational. It's the first postseason award for Miller as well.

MT's three honorees tied for the most of any school with FIU.

The Blue Raiders are set to make the program's first NCAA appearance next week as the No. 15 seed in the NCAA West Regional hosted by BYU on May 7-9, at the Entrada at Snow Canyon Golf Course in St. George, Utah.

2015 All-Conference USA Women's Golf Teams
Golfer of the Year: Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Freshman of the Year: Maggie Simmermacher, Old Dominion
Most Improved Golfer: Meghan MacLaren, FIU / Heather Netti, Florida Atlantic
Coach of the Year: Chris Adams, Middle Tennessee

All-Conference USA First Team
Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Avery George, Middle Tennessee
Allie Knight, Middle Tennessee
Maggie Simmermacher, Old Dominion
Camino Sardinero, UTEP

All-Conference USA Second Team
Coralia Arias, FIU
Camila Serrano, FIU
Emily Miller, Middle Tennessee
Eji Kwon, North Texas
Devon Spriddle, Southern Miss

All-Conference USA Third Team
Sarah Helly, Marshall
Katerina Vlasinova, Old Dominion
Brogan Townend, UTSA
Georgina Blackman, WKU
Ellinor Haag, WKU

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Avery George

Allie Knight

Emily Miller

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