Women’s golfers earns NGCA Academic Team honors

University of Arkansas student-athletes Emily Tubert, Corinna Rees and Victoria Vela were selected as National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar recipients, the organization announced.

The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are among the most stringent of all college athletics, with honorees maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 while competing in at least 50 percent of the teams’ events during the season.

“Academics is truly the cornerstone of what we try to do at Arkansas,” Razorback head coach Shauna Estes-Taylorsaid. “We are students first and these three young ladies are great examples of what you can accomplish when you are focused and committed. All three are great representatives both on and off the golf course. I’m very proud of thisrecognition for their success.”

Rees, a Pebble Beach, Calif, native, graduated in May with a double-major in political science and criminal justice from the J. William fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. She is a multiple-time selection to both the department and Southeastern Conference academic honor rolls and is Arkansas’ second-ever three time selection to the NGCA academic team.

Vela hails from Mansfield, Texas, and is making her second appearance on the coaches’ academic honor roll. She is majoring in business administration in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

Tubert recently concluded her freshman season with the Razorbacks earning both golf and academic All-America honors. She is majoring in kinesiology in the College of Education and Health Professions.

The Razorbacks have always had success in the classroom and this year’s trio bring Arkansas’ total to eight student-athletes honored with 14 selections to this elite team. Arkansas’ other selections include MacKenzie Cato (1997); Jennifer Norlien (2004); Gena Johnson (2005); Stacy Lewis (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008); and Tiffany Phelps (2010).

The NGCA recognized 566 women’s collegiate golfers from Divisions I, II and III this year. Arkansas’ selections were three of the 25 student-athletes from the Southeastern Conference who were recognized.

For more information about Razorback women’s golf, please log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.