FARMINGTON, Utah (April 29, 2020) – The Northern Arizona golf team's sophomore trio of
Aleksandra Chekalina,
Ashley Croft and
Elle Kocourkova were named to the Big Sky All-Conference Teams in a release by the conference office on Wednesday. Chekalina and Croft were named to the All-Big Sky Third Team for the second consecutive year, while Kocourkova was an honorable mention selection for the second straight year as well.
The All-Conference Golf Teams are determined using a point system based on the Golfstat National Ranking, the Golf Week National Ranking and the adjusted score to par provided by Golfstat.
Chekalina, Croft and Kocourkova held NAU's top three scoring averages during the 2019-20 season with Croft pacing the team with a stroke average of 75.43. Chekalina shot an average of 75.61 and Kocourkova finished the season with an average of 76.00. The trio also combined for seven of the Lumberjacks' 11 par or better rounds this season.
In addition to leading the team in stroke average, Croft also posted a team-high three round at par or better highlighted by a final round three-under par 69 at the New Mexico State Aggie Invitational in October. Croft's best round of the season propelled her to a career-best finish in a tie for eighth at the Aggie Invitational. She competed in all eight tournaments this season and finished in the top 20 in three of them.
Chekalina registered NAU's best individual finish of the season in third-place at the season-opening Hobble Creek Fall Classic in September. During the first tourney of the season, she fired a career-best three-under par 68 in the opening round on her way to a season-best one-over par 214. Chekalina had two rounds in the 60s, which led the team, this season and finished in the top 20 in three of eight tournaments along with two top 10 finishes.
Kocourkova was coming off her best tournament of the spring at the Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational prior to the season's cancelation. She tied for eighth at the New Mexico State Aggie Invitational in the fall, marking her first career top 10 finish, and shot a season-best three-over par 219. Kocourkova recorded two par or better rounds and matched Chekalina for team-high honors with two top 10 finishes among her seven tournaments.
NAU tied Idaho for second-most all-conference selections with three. Sacramento State led the way with five all-conference picks including Tess Blair, the Big Sky's Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
Chekalina, Croft and Kocourkova will lead a Lumberjack squad that was picked third in the 2020 Big Sky Preseason Poll and is slated to return four of their top five golfers in terms of scoring average next season.
