Houston, Long garner All-Conference USA accolades on WednesdayHouston, Long garner All-Conference USA accolades on Wednesday
Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics
Women's Golf

Houston, Long garner All-Conference USA accolades on Wednesday

IRVING — Julie Houston was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year and earned second-team all-conference honors along with Nikki Long, the league office announced on Wednesday.

Houston led UTSA with a 74.34 stroke average during her debut season, including a 73.76 mark this spring. The Allen native registered four top-10 finishes, including becoming the first Roadrunner to win back-to-back tournaments when she captured the individual crown at the All There August Challenge with a season-best 214 (69-69-76) on Feb. 14-15 and the Islanders Classic with a 215 (68-71-76) on Feb. 22-23. A three-time C-USA Player of the Week honoree, she turned in seven sub-par rounds and capped off the season by tying for 16th with a 227 (79-71-77) to help UTSA finish fourth at the C-USA Championship. Houston became the second Roadrunner to earn conference freshman of the year accolades, joining 2011 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year Fabiola Arriaga.

Long recorded five top-15 finishes this season, including back-to-back top-10 showings when she tied for sixth with a 219 (72-75-72) at the All There August Challenge and fifth with a 222 (75-73-76) at the Islanders Classic to help UTSA claim the team title. The sophomore ranked second on the team with a 74.97 average and turned in a season-best 218 (71-71-76) to tie for 13th at the MountainView Collegiate. Long, a San Antonio Johnson High School product, carded a 228 (75-78-75) to tie for 19th and help lead the Roadrunners to a fourth-place finish at the C-USA Championship. Long recently was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team and received the league's academic medal for the second straight year.

UTSA now has earned 25 all-conference certificates in its 11-year history, 24 under eighth-year head coach Carrie Parnaby.
 
2015-16 Conference USA Women's Golf Awards
Player of the Year:
Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Freshman of the Year: Julie Houston, UTSA
Most Improved Players: Sydney Snodgrass, UAB; Emily Alexander, Western Kentucky
Coach of the Year: Chris Adams, Middle Tennessee

First Team
Avery George, Middle Tennessee
Samantha Gotcher, Middle Tennessee
Ellinor Haag, Western Kentucky
Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Emily Miller, Middle Tennessee

Second Team
Jenna Burris, Middle Tennessee
Julie Houston, UTSA
Hanley Long, Middle Tennessee
Nikki Long, UTSA
Maggie Simmermacher, Old Dominion

Third Team
Georgina Blackman, Western Kentucky
Charlotte De Corte, Old Dominion
Carla Jane, FIU
Camila Serrano, FIU
Katerina Vlasinova, Old Dominion