McDonald Named A Nominee For 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a four-year career in the Maroon and White that stands among the best in school history, Mississippi State women’s golf standout Ally McDonald has been named a nominee for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the NCAA announced Friday.
The award, now in its 25th year, honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Of those four qualities, the Fulton, Miss., native has excelled in all, leading as a shining example of what it means to be a student-athlete at Mississippi State. Throughout her four years, the three-time WGCA All-American has broken or tied every individual single-season record, set numerous career records, represented MSU on the national stage while also excelling in the classroom and in the community of Starkville.
"Ally's nomination for the NCAA Woman of the Year is a huge honor for her and the work she has put in over her career at MSU,” Bulldog head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm said. "We are proud of her commitment to the process of growth, challenge and ultimately success in the Mississippi State women’s golf program. She represents the program, our university and our state with the integrity and honor. She is much deserving of this distinction.”
On the course, the four-time All-SEC honoree has established herself as one of the greatest players in Bulldog history, racking up five individual tournament titles, while helping State capture four team titles.
The highlight of McDonald’s time at State has come in the last three seasons, where the Bulldogs have reached three-straight NCAA Regionals, including advancing to the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, the Bulldogs put together their best season in school history, finishing a program-best sixth place, with McDonald leading the way with a tied-for-fourth finish.
McDonald has also been an excellent representative of the Maroon and White on the national stage, competing in numerous prestigious events during her four years at State. McDonald was a part of the United States team that captured the Curtis Cup in 2014, while also taking part in the Women’s U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. In the Amateur Championship, McDonald was one of 64 players to punch their ticket to match play, finishing tied for 33rd.
Off the course, McDonald is a three-time WGCA Academic All-American and has landed on the SEC Academic Honor Roll multiple times. McDonald was also named the recipient of the 2013 Francis H. Newsom Award, awarded to the best student-athlete from each sport at Mississippi State. Most recently, McDonald was named MSU’s nominee for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete, which is given to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes within the Southeastern Conference.
A total of 480 female student-athletes from across Division I, II and III were nominated for the prestigious award. Of the 480 nominees, the top 30 will be selected, with 10 from each division. The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced on Oct. 18, in Indianapolis, Ind.
For more information on Mississippi State women’s golf and updates, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateWG and at HailState.com.