IRVING — Julie Houston, Nikki Long and Aimee Ponte collected All-Conference USA accolades, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Long and Ponte were named to the second team, while Houston was a third-team selection.
Long garnered second-team all-conference honors for the second straight year after leading UTSA with a 74.52 stroke average this season. A three-time C-USA Athlete of the Week during her junior campaign, she registered three top-five finishes, highlighted by a tie for fourth place with a 221 (72-75-74) to help UTSA win the Texas State Invitational in February. The San Antonio native also tied for fifth at both The Dickson, where she fired a collegiate career-best 212 (70-71-71), and the Hawkeye El Tigre Invitational, where her 73-73-71—217 helped the Roadrunners to a runner-up showing. Long, who earlier this month was named to the InTouch Credit Union C-USA All-Academic Team for the second straight season, carded a 223 (77-74-72) to finish 13th and help UTSA place third at the C-USA Championship.
Ponte picked up her first career all-conference certificate in her final campaign as a Roadrunner. A native of St. Sampson's, Guernsey, she ranked second on the squad with a 74.77 stroke average in 2016-17. She turned in six top-20 finishes, led by a tie for 10th at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational in October after posting a career-best-tying 214 (75-69-70). She closed out a 221 wth a 69 to tie for 20th and help the Roadrunners to a runner-up showing at the Hawkeye El Tigre Invitational. Ponte carded a 223 (75-73-75) to tie for 13th and help UTSA place third at the C-USA Championship.
Houston earned her second all-conference accolade after ranking third on the team with a 74.9 stroke average. A second-team selection and the C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2016, she recorded five top-20 finishes as a sophomore. The Allen native tied for fourth with a 221 (72-73-76) to help lead lead UTSA to the Texas State Invitational title and share C-USA Athlete of the Week honors with Long in February. Houston fired a season-best 215 (74-69-72) to tie for 20th at the Jim West Challenge in October, and she posted a 217 (70-72-75) to tie for 16th at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational. She tied for 13th with a 223 (72-77-74) to help lead UTSA to third place at the C-USA Championship.
UTSA now has earned 28 all-conference certificates in its 12-year history, with 27 coming under the direction of ninth-year head coach Carrie Parnaby.
2016-17 Conference USA Women's Golf Awards
First-Team All-Conference USA
Georgina Blackman, WKU
Camila Serrano, FIU
Nichada Satasuk, Southern Miss
Henriette Syr, Southern Miss
Katerina Vlasinova, Old Dominion
Second-Team All-Conference USA
Jenna Burris, Middle Tennessee
Kelly Erasmus, Southern Miss
Nikki Long, UTSA
Aimee Ponte, UTSA
Maggie Simmermacher, Old Dominion
Third-Team All-Conference USA
Samantha Gotcher, Middle Tennessee
Julie Houston, UTSA
Sol Lee, North Texas
Hanley Long, Middle Tennessee
Sydney Snodgrass, UAB
Player of the Year: Camila Serrano, FIU
Freshman of the Year: Shelby Brauckmuller, Marshall
Most Improved Player: Katerina Krasova, FIU
Coach of the Year: Mallory Hetzel, Old Dominion
