May 26, 2007

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Following the conclusion of the NCAA Championship Tournament on Friday, the Lady Vols joined the rest of the 24-team field at the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Awards Banquet held at the Plaza Spa and Resort in Daytona Beach, Fla. It was there that junior Marci Turner and sophomore Nicole Smith were named NGCA All-Americans and Turner became the first Lady Vol to win the Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award (formerly known as the True Temper All-Academic Award) since 1994.

"I am really proud of them for achieving that," head coach Judi Pavon said. "I know Nicole sat at this banquet last year and really wanted to get that award, so I am really happy for her."

Turner adds her honorable mention NGCA All-America certificate to the one she received last year when she was named to the second team. From Tompkinsville, Ky., Turner was twice named to the All-Southeastern Conference first team and an NGCA Academic All-American. She was also on the SEC Honor Roll last year.

Of all her accolades, Turner considers the Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award the most important.

"This is a very special award," Turner said. "I always try to put my academics before golf and now I know it paid off. I had no idea I was going to get this. I kind of assumed it was for First-Team All-Americans. This is probably the best honor that I have received so far.

The criteria for the award are: the nominee must be an NGCA All-American and Academic All-American, have a 3.50 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, and participate in at least 50 percent of the team competitions this year. Of those who qualify, the player with the highest gpa receives the award. Turner has a 3.86 gpa in turfgrass management.

Other Lady Vols with at least a 3.50 gpa are freshmen Ginny Brown and Diana Cantú, senior Holly Cantwell and Smith.

While Smith is a two-time Second-Team All-SEC honoree, her honorable mention NGCA award is a first for the Riverside, Calif., native. While Tennessee has had an All-American on the team every year since 1993, there have never been two recipients in the same year. Smith's honor comes at the end of a successful sophomore campaign which saw her win her first collegiate tournament title at the Golf Daytona Beach Fall Preview with a career-best 211. She concluded her sophomore campaign with eight top-20 finishes in 12 tournaments.