Nov. 16, 2012
MIDLOTHIAN -- Stoked by their successes at the state and regional levels as well as strong showings in national competitions, ODU freshman Lauren Eklund has been namedVirginia State Golf Association Women's Division Golfer Of the Year accolades, asannounced this week at the VSGA Women's Division Annual Meeting at Independence Golf Club. Also named were Amanda Steinhagen (Oak Hill), Elizabeth Brightwell (Nellysford),and Shelley Savage (Alexandria).
Steinhagen and Brightwell shared golfer of the year accolades, Savage claimed senior golfer of the year honors, and Eklund was named junior girl of the year.
The 18-year-old Eklund was a quarterfinalist at the VSGA Women's Amateur Championship. Eklund, a VSGA member at Greene Hills Club, placed fourth at the VSGA Virginias Women's Stroke Play Championship and tied for fifth at the VSGA Junior Girls' Championship.
In the summer of 2012, she represented the winning Virginia team at the Virginia-Maryland Junior Girls' Team Matches and played on the Virginias squad at the Mid-Atlantic Girls' Challenge. A graduate of Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Eklund was named to the Virginia High School girls Group AAA all-state teams four times (2008-11). She is a three-time all-region honoree and was selected all-Albemarle District on four occasions. As a freshman member of theODU Lady Monarchs Golf Team, made three starts in five events in the fall.