Trio Of Gamecocks Grab All-America Honors from Golfweek
COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) – South Carolina women’s golfers Katelyn Dambaugh, Ainhoa Olarra and Ana Pelaez all garnered All-America honors from Golfweek, the publication announced this week. Dambaugh was selected to the All-America First Team, while Olarra and Pelaez were recognized as Honorable Mention All-Americans.
Carolina, which ended the season ranked No. 12 in the final Golfweek poll, was one of seven schools to boast at least three All-America selections from the organization.
This week’ announcement gave Dambaugh a program-record five All-America honors for her career. The Goose Creek, S.C., native, who wrapped up her decorated collegiate career last month, was named to the WGCA All-American Second Team earlier this spring. She grabbed two First-Team All-America laurels as a junior after being named a Golfweek Honorable Mention All-American in her sophomore season.
Pelaez becomes the 10th golfer in school history to collect All-America honors, while Olarra caps off her junior campaign with national recognitions from the WGCA and Golfweek. Seven of Carolina’s 10 all-time All-Americans have come under coach Kalen Anderson.
Dambaugh remained among the nation’s elite in her final season as a Gamecock, ranking 12th in Division I with a 71.68 stroke average. Her five top-five finishes and 17 rounds of par or better both paced Carolina, and she carded the lowest 18 and 54-hole marks in program history during her senior campaign.
The Gamecock standout notched her second career victory in April, capturing the individual title at the 2017 SEC Championship after totaling the lowest three-round score (204, -12) in school and tournament history. Dambaugh ended her time at Carolina as the program’s all-time scoring average leader (72.67), and her 15 career top-five finishes rank second in school history.
Olarra emerged as a steady force in the Gamecock lineup this past season, racking up five top-10 finishes. She ranked second on the team in stroke average (72.71), and her 13 rounds of par or better marked a career high. Two of the San Sebastian, Spain, native’s five top-10 showings came in the postseason, as she tied for fifth at the NCAA Columbus Regional before placing in a tie for 10th at the NCAA Championship.
Pelaez turned in a historic first season for the Gamecocks, posting a freshman record 73.12 scoring average. The Malaga, Spain, native found her stroke in the spring with top-15 finishes in four of her seven events, including medalist honors at the NCAA Columbus Regional. In Carolina’s spring opener, the 2017 FSU Match-Up, Pelaez carded the lowest 54-hole mark (208, -8) ever by a Gamecock freshman en route to runner-up honors.
