Kansas State University Athletics
Five Wildcats Named to All-American Scholars Team
Jul 01, 2024 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Five Kansas State women's golfers – Julia Ballester Barrio, Gabriela McNelly, Alenka Navarro, Noa van Beek and Haley Vargas – were honored for their work in the classroom this past season as they were named to the 2023-24 Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholars Team.
It is tied for the most WGCA All-American Scholar honors in program history with the 2003-04 squad. van Beek picked up the honor for a second-straight season, while the other four were honored for the first time in their careers.
The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. To be selected, a student-athlete must have an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher, be an amateur and on the team's roster through the conclusion of the season and have played in at least 50% of the team's scheduled competitive rounds during the year.
van Beek, who last week was named an Academic All-District performer, competed in eight events for the Wildcats and produced a 74.59 stroke average with two top-10 finishes. A sophomore from Oene, Netherlands, van Beek's best finish was a tie for eighth place at the White Sands Invitational, helping K-State earn the team title.
Ballester Barrio, a native of Castellon, Spain, competed in six events during her freshman campaign and tallied a 75.44 stroke average. Her top finish of the year was a tie for third at the White Sands Invitational.
McNelly closed out her career in 2023-24 by totaling a 76.11 stroke average, while her best finish of the year was a tie for 21st at the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational.
Another freshman, Navarro finished third on the team with a 73.83 stroke average. A native of Mexico City, she tallied four top-20 finishes with her best showing also coming at the White Sands Invitational as she finished in seventh place.
Vargas, a native of Lubbock, Texas, concluded her five-year career by finishing fourth in school history with a 75.32 career scoring average. During the 2023-24 season, Vargas produced a 73.50 scoring average to rank third in school history, while her 73.90 mark in 2022-23 now ranks fifth. She produced four top-20 finishes this past season, highlighted by an individual victory at the White Sands Invitational.
It is tied for the most WGCA All-American Scholar honors in program history with the 2003-04 squad. van Beek picked up the honor for a second-straight season, while the other four were honored for the first time in their careers.
The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. To be selected, a student-athlete must have an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher, be an amateur and on the team's roster through the conclusion of the season and have played in at least 50% of the team's scheduled competitive rounds during the year.
van Beek, who last week was named an Academic All-District performer, competed in eight events for the Wildcats and produced a 74.59 stroke average with two top-10 finishes. A sophomore from Oene, Netherlands, van Beek's best finish was a tie for eighth place at the White Sands Invitational, helping K-State earn the team title.
Ballester Barrio, a native of Castellon, Spain, competed in six events during her freshman campaign and tallied a 75.44 stroke average. Her top finish of the year was a tie for third at the White Sands Invitational.
McNelly closed out her career in 2023-24 by totaling a 76.11 stroke average, while her best finish of the year was a tie for 21st at the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational.
Another freshman, Navarro finished third on the team with a 73.83 stroke average. A native of Mexico City, she tallied four top-20 finishes with her best showing also coming at the White Sands Invitational as she finished in seventh place.
Vargas, a native of Lubbock, Texas, concluded her five-year career by finishing fourth in school history with a 75.32 career scoring average. During the 2023-24 season, Vargas produced a 73.50 scoring average to rank third in school history, while her 73.90 mark in 2022-23 now ranks fifth. She produced four top-20 finishes this past season, highlighted by an individual victory at the White Sands Invitational.
Players Mentioned
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