ULM Women's Golf Dominates Sun Belt Postseason Awards
MONROE, La. – Following a 2022-23 season that was defined by a series of firsts in program history as well as consistent, record-breaking performances on the course, the ULM women's golf team dominated the Sun Belt Conference postseason awards, as selected by the league's head coaches. The Warhawks claimed three major Sun Belt awards, with Chantal Dueringer voted Golfer of the Year, Anna Andrysova selected Freshman of the Year and Rachel Pollock named Coach of the Year.
Dueringer (first team) and Andrysova (second team) joined teammate Alessia Mengoni (second team) on the All-Sun Belt Conference Team, as determined by Golfstat's national rankings. ULM led the conference with three All-Sun Belt selections.
Dueringer was ULM's top finisher in five of 12 tournaments in 2022-23, including three of the last four in the regular season. She shot an 8-over-par 224 in the NCAA San Antonio Regional to tie for 25th place. Dueringer helped lead the Warhawks to the program's first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship, finishing second overall at even-par 216 – just two strokes behind the individual medalist. She earned a spot on the Sun Belt Conference Championship All-Tournament Team, thanks to her top six performance. Dueringer recorded birdies on three of the last five holes (14th, 16th and 17th) to send the Sun Belt Conference Championship into a playoff against Texas State.
A senior from Bregenz, Austria, Dueringer led ULM with eight Top-10 finishes, including seven in the Top 5. She led wire-to-wire at the Bama Beach Bash while claiming her first career championship at 5-under 211; the 211 marked the third-lowest 54-hole total of her career and tied for the fifth-lowest score in program history.
Dueringer set numerous ULM individual single-season records as a senior, including scoring average (72.65), par or better rounds (18), birdies (107), eagles (7) and par-4 scoring (4.0314). Her 72.65 scoring average ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders (No. 76). She also led the team with eight rounds in the 60s. Dueringer finished as ULM's career leader in multiple stat categories, including scoring average (73.87), par or better rounds (32), birdies (243) and eagles (9).
She becomes only the second player in ULM program history to be selected Sun Belt Conference Women's Golfer of the Year, joining Alison Knowles, who earned the award following the 2013-14 season.
"Chantal earning this honor is a great way to cap off an amazing college career," Pollock said. "Her consistency and ability to be a leader within our program for the last two years has aided in the growth of our program. I'm so happy for her and these accomplishments."
Andrysova, a true freshman from Prague, Czech Republic, was ULM's top finisher in three of 11 tournaments. She ranked second on the team with six Top-10 finishes, including three in the Top 5. Andrysova finished tied for 14th in the Sun Belt Conference Championship at 7-over-par 223 and converted a 25-foot putt at No. 10 to give ULM a two-stroke lead on the second playoff hole. It marked her second birdie of the day at the decisive hole.
She fired a 5-under-par 67 in the third round of The Judson and climbed 18 places on the individual leaderboard into a tie for second place at even-par 216. Her other Top 5 finishes came at the Remax Prime Properties Bearkat Invitational (fifth at 5-over 218) and Lady Red Wolves Classic (tied for fourth at 3-under 213). Her top score came in her collegiate debut at the USA Intercollegiate, shooting a 4-under 212 (tied for sixth).
Andrysova, who posted three rounds in the 60s, ranked among ULM's leaders in multiple stat categories, including scoring average (second at 73.55), most subpar holes (tied for second at 7), first-round scoring (second at 73.36), par-3 scoring (first at 3.09), par-4 scoring (second at 4.12), birdies (fourth at 92) and pars per round (second at 11.36). Her 73.55 scoring average is the third-lowest single-season mark in program history.
"I knew when recruiting Annie she would come in and make an immediate impact to our program," Pollock said. "This honor is so special because you only have the chance at it once, and her play this year was so impressive. I'm thrilled that we have her for three more years. Annie is going to continue to develop, and she will be one to watch the rest of her college career."
Mengoni posted ULM's lowest individual score for the third time this season after carding a 2-over-par 74 in the final round in the 2023 NCAA San Antonio Regional for a 54-hole total of 6-over 222, finishing in a five-way tie for 20th place. It marked Mengoni's fifth Top 20 performance in 2022-23. Her three-round totals featured six birdies and a team-leading 38 pars.
A junior from Rome, Italy, Mengoni won two individual titles in 2022-23, becoming the first ULM golfer to win multiple titles in the same season since Knowles in 2013-14 (4 victories). She claimed medalist honors for the second time at the ULM Invitational, shooting an even-par 216.
Mengoni carded a 6-under-par 66 in the third round to climb four spots into a three-way tie for first place at 8-under 208 (69-73-66) at the GCU Invitational. Her 66 tied the second-lowest round in program history and her 54-hole total tied the school record, shared by Knowles (shot a 208 in the 2013 Lady Red Wolf Classic). She recorded eight birdies in the final round at the GCU Invitational, including six on the front nine.
"Alessia being listed on the all-conference second team is such a testament to how far she's come in the last year," Pollock said. "Winning two titles was a huge accomplishment for her this year, and we're really excited to have her back for next season."
Mengoni posted four Top-10 finishes in 2022-23, including three in the Top 5. Her third Top-5 performance came at The Judson, finishing tied for second at even-par 216 – just one shot behind the individual medalist.
She recorded par or better in 10 rounds, including four in the 60s. Mengoni led the Warhawks with eight subpar holes. She also ranked among the team leaders in birdies (third with 95) and scoring average (fourth at 74.44). Her 74.44 scoring average is the sixth-best single-season mark in program history.
Mengoni already is listed among ULM's career leaders in scoring average (third at 75.12), tournament wins (third with 2) and birdies (fifth with 170).
In just her second season as head coach, Pollock has placed ULM on the national map, leading the program to its first-ever appearance as a team in the NCAA Women's Golf Regional as an automatic qualifier.
The Warhawks earned a spot in the field after claiming its first Sun Belt Conference Women's Golf Championship in program history on April 18 by defeating Texas State by two strokes on the second playoff hole in Daytona Beach, Florida. ULM and Texas State completed the 54-hole tournament tied at 16-over-par 880.
ULM's playoff victory punctuated a remarkable turnaround, winning its first Sun Belt Conference Women's Golf Championship in program history a year removed from finishing last (11th place) in the 2022 league's tournament at 57-over 921.
Thanks to its Sun Belt Conference Championship, ULM vaulted 15 places in the Golfstat final regular-season rankings of NCAA Division I women's teams to No. 72 – its highest position in program history. The Warhawks moved inside Golfstat's Top 100 for the first time in early March.
"I'm very honored to be named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year," Pollock said. "To have been voted as the recipient by my coaching colleagues, peers and, most importantly, friends means a lot. This doesn't happen without every single player on the team and their contributions throughout the whole year. This is truly a team award and one that I share very proudly with the girls.
"Placing three golfers on the all-conference teams is a huge accomplishment, and it says a lot about the depth of our lineup. I'm really proud of this team, and it shows the direction of our program is trending up."
Under Pollock, ULM played as well as any team down the stretch, winning four of its last five regular-season tournaments while posting a 52-1-1 record in its last 54 head-to-head stroke play against NCAA Division I opponents. The Warhawks started the stretch by winning the team title at the GCU Invitational at 13 strokes, finishing at 19-under 845. After placing second in the HCU Husky Invitational, ULM reeled off three consecutive tournament titles: Bama Beach Bash, ULM Invitational and Sun Belt Conference Championship.
Overall, the Warhawks won a program single-season record five tournaments in 2022-23, with its first title coming at The Judson last November. ULM broke the previous record of four tournament wins set by the 2013-14 team.
In addition, the 2022-23 Warhawks rewrote the record book, breaking more than 20 combined individual and team records, including the lowest team scoring average per round (293.53) as well as the four lowest rounds and four lowest 54-hole scores in program history.
