CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (July 12, 2023) – Recognized for their hard work in the classroom and on the course, three Northern Arizona University golfers have been named WGCA All-American Scholars.
Fifth-year senior
Aleksandra Chekalina and a pair of true freshmen,
Lizzie Neale and
Ellena Slater, are among 1,401 women's collegiate golfers from 378 programs recognized with the prestigious honor.
To be selected a student-athlete must have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, be an amateur and on the team's roster through the conclusion of the team's season and played in 50 percent of the college's regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year through the team's conference championship.
Chekalina, who earned the honor for the third time in her career, recently graduated from NAU with her degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a cumulative 3.53 GPA. She was named second team All-Big Sky this past season, becoming the first golfer in program history to earn All-Big Sky recognition five times. She leaves as the program's all-time record holder in career rounds played (134), career counting scores (116) and birdies (262).
This season, she had a scoring average of 74.56 and had two rounds in the 60's and six at par-or-better. Her best finish came at the Coeur d'Alene Collegiate where she finished tied for eighth after shooting a 213 (E).
Slater is majoring in health sciences, food and nutrition, while Neale is seeking a degree in strategic communications. Both boasted perfect 4.0 GPAs following their freshman year.
Slater wrapped up a solid freshman campaign, as her scoring average of 73.17 ranked third all-time in program history. She was named first team All-Big Sky and won the Red Rocks Invitational, NAU's home tournament, to earn Big Sky Golfer of the Week. Slater turned in three rounds in the 60's and had nine rounds at par-or-better. She shot a 67 (-5) at the GCU Invitational to tie a program record and her best 54-hole score of 211 (-5) ranked third.
Neale also landed on the All-Big Sky second team. She owned a scoring average of 73.96 and had 10 rounds at par or better with three in the 60's. Neale took home Big Sky Golfer of the Week honors after helping NAU finish runner-up at the Mountain Classic Match play to start the Spring season. Her best finish this season came at the Bobcat Desert Classic where she tied for sixth. Neale has recorded three career-low rounds of 69 (-3). The Nelson, New Zealand native's best 54-hole score of 213 (-3) came at the GCU Invitational where she finished tied for eighth.
The trio each earned a spot on the Big Sky Spring All-Academic team and were Golden Eagle Scholar Athlete award winners. Chekalina made the All-Academic team and was a Golden Eagle Scholar all five years of her career.
