MEGHAN MACLAREN NAMED SUN BELT CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF YEAR

NEWS RELEASE FROM SUN BELT CONFERENCE       

NEW ORLEANS - A week after winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship, FIU headlines the 2013 Sun Belt Women’s Golf All-Conference teams by placing a total of five individuals on the teams and sweeping the specialty awards. The Sun Belt announced the honors on Thursday.
FIU star freshman Meghan MacLaren from Wellingborough, the individual medalist at the league championship, was named first team all-conference and was also named the league’s Freshman of the Year. 
Joining MacLaren, pictured above, on the all-conference first team are teammates Shelby Cole and Sophie Godley from Notts. Two Panthers, Yolecci Jimenez and Tania Tare were named to the league’s all-conference second team.
FIU head coach Joe Vogel was named Coach of the Year. It is the first conference Coach of the Year honor Vogel has received in his seven year tenure at FIU.
UALR’s Emelie Westrup, Arkansas State’s Abigail Laker from Oxfordshire and Troy’s Sofia Bjorkman all earned first all-conference honors. 
Meanwhile, Georgia State’s Maria Palacios, Louisiana-Monroe’s Alison Knowles from Mexborough, South Yorkshire, Middle Tennessee’s Olivia Love and South Alabama’s Kristen Golightly were tabbed to the all-conference second team.
The two all-conference teams were selected by a vote of the league’s head women’s golf coaches.

First Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Emelie Westrup, UALR
Abigail Laker, Arkansas State
Shelby Coyle, FIU
Sophie Godley, FIU
Meghan MacLaren, FIU
Sofia Bjorkman, Troy

Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Yolecci Jimenez, FIU
Tania Tare, FIU
Maria Palacios, Georgia State
Alison Knowles, Louisiana-Monroe
Olivia Love, Middle Tennessee
Kristen Golightly, South Alabama

Freshman of the Year
Meghan MacLaren, FIU

Coach of the Year
Joe Vogel, FIU