RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech newcomer
Orla O'Leary has been named the 2022 Great American Conference Women's Freshman of the Year.
In addition to O'Leary's honors, the Golden Suns placed three other golfers on the All-GAC teams and received a Distinguished Scholar accolade as announced by the league office before the kick-off of the 2022 GAC Championship Tournament on Saturday.
Junior
Jacqueline Klemm returns to the All-GAC First Team as a unanimous selection while Junior
Katie Whitfield was named to the Second Team. Junior
Bhenyapa Buranasiri joins O'Leary in the All-GAC Honorable Mention team, rounding out the All-GAC plaudits for the Golden Suns. Klemm also joins the class of GAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes.
OFFICIAL GAC RELEASE
Orla O'Leary
A native of Galashiels, Scotland, O'Leary came out of the gate competitive giving a hopeful look for her future with Arkansas Tech. O'Leary has played 10 rounds in five tournaments, all of which she has placed within the top-30, excluding one injury related incompletion. Her first appearance with the Golden Suns rendered a top-20 finish. O'Leary averages a 77.90 and is currently sitting 37th in the region according to the latest rankings.
Jacqueline Klemm
A native of Frankfurt, Germany, Klemm earns her third First Team All-GAC award after garnering the honor as a freshman in 2019 and once again as a sophomore in 2021. In 2019, Klemm was named the league's Freshman of the Year and was also named the National Freshman of the Year by the WGCA. Despite having the 2020 season cut short due to COVID-19, Klemm was still named as to the WGCA All-America Second Team. This year, Klemm was named unanimously First Team.
This season, Klemm is ranked 69th overall in DII according to the latest Golfstat rankings. Having played in all nine tournaments this year for the Golden Suns leading to the upcoming GAC Tournament, Klemm earned an individual first-place trophy and has placed in the top-10 in seven tournaments.
This year also earned Klemm her sixth career GAC Golfer of the Week with her first-place victory at the Trophy Club Invitational as she won with a three-round score of 8-over par. She opened with consecutive 2-over rounds and closed with a 4-over score to earn a one-shot victory.
In addition to her conference award for her efforts on the course, Klemm also was named a GAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for her efforts in the classroom.
Katie Whitfield
A native of Clemson, S.C., Whitfield is the is the lone Golden Sun on the All-GAC Second Team. This accolade stacks atop her previous unanimous First Team All-GAC selection in 2021.
The 2020-21 season was a breakout season for Whitfield. She finished as one of the top-two on the Golden Suns in four of their five tournaments played. A two-time recipient of the GAC Golfer of the Week award, Whitfield turned in her best performance of the year at the HSU Spring Invite as she won the individual title by four strokes over teammate and fellow unanimous First Team All-GAC selection,
Jacqueline Klemm.
Whitfield has competed in eight of the nine tournaments, finishing in the top-10 frequently and her average is 77.65 and is ranked 20th in the region.
Bhenyapa "May" Buranasiri
A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Buranasiri has shown her competitive edge especially this season, competing in all nine tournaments consistently has shown an improving drive.
In her last appearance at the GAC Tournament in 2021 Buranasiri tied for 8th, where the Golden Suns made it to a play off and narrowly fell to Henderson State.
Buranasiri has placed in the top-20 tournament finishers four times this season, has an average of 78.45 and is ranked 30th in the region.
Coached by the 2021 Women's Golf Coach of the Year,
Luke Calcatera, the Golden Suns will return to the GAC Women's Golf Championships April 10-12 at the Hot Springs Country Club. In the five for the Golden Suns is
Jacqueline Klemm (1),
Katie Whitfield (2),
Bhenyapa Buranasiri (3),
Josie Roberson (4) and
Orla O'Leary (5). Arkansas Tech will begin round one Sunday morning
