April 26, 2014
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - UNLV junior Dana Finkelstein was selected as the Mountain West Golfer of the Year for the second consecutive year, as the Mountain West announced its 2013-14 Women's Golf All-Conference team and individual awards at the conclusion of its championship at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club on Saturday.
Finkelstein entered this week's Conference Championship ranked 17th by Golfstat and 19th by the GolfWeek/Sagarin rankings. She currently leads the Conference in scoring average at 72.08 strokes per round. The junior from Chandler, Ariz., recorded the first two wins of her career, at the Colonel Wollenberg's Ram Classic and at the Peg Barnard Invitational, and turned in five top-five finishes in 2013-14.
It is the sixth time that a student athlete from UNLV has been named the MW Women's Golfer of the Year, but it is the first time that a golfer has won the award twice in her career. Sunny Oh (2003-04), Elena Kurokawa (2004-05), Da Sol Chung (2005-06) and Therese Koelbaek (2010-11) also earned the honor. Finkelstein becomes the first back-to-back recipient, and fourth ever, since New Mexico's Jodi Ewart garnered the aware in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
San Diego State's Sirene Blair was named the MW Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year honors went to Jill Trujillo of New Mexico.
Finkelstein is joined by fellow junior Mayko Chwen Wang to be named to an All-Mountain West team. Finkelstein earned first team honors, for the second straight year, while Wang were named to the second team for the second consecutive season. The full list is below.
2013-14 Women's Golf All-Mountain West First Team
Sammi Stevens, New Mexico
Sirene Blair, San Diego State
Emma Henrikson, San Diego State
Regan De Guzman, San Jose State
Dana Finkelstein, UNLV
2013-14 Women's Golf All-Mountain West Second Team
Samantha Martin, Boise State
Gudrun Bjorgsvindottir, Fresno State
Madchen Ly, Fresno State
Manon DeRoey, New Mexico
Mannon Molle, New Mexico
Paige Spiranac, San Diego State
Mayko Chwen Wang, UNLV
2013-14 Mountain West Women's Golfer of the Year
Dana Finkelstein, UNLV
2013-14 Mountain West Women's Golf Freshman of the Year
Sirene Blair, San Diego State
2013-14 Mountain West Women's Golf Coach of the Year
Jill Trujillo, New Mexico
