COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – San Diego State's Sara Kjellker (Hollviken, Sweden) and Gioia Carpinelli (Boppelsen, Switzerland) each were named to the all-Mountain West Women's Golf First Team, the league announced Monday. The 10-person all-conference team (five on first, five on second), golfer of the year and freshman of the year are voted on by the league's nine coaches.
The Aztecs have now garnered multiple all-MW accolades in 10 consecutive seasons.
Kjellker earned her third straight all-conference honor after being named a first-team golfer in 2017-18 and second-team selection in 2018-19. The junior led the team with a 72.73 scoring average, as well as rounds in the 60s (3) and rounds below par (8).
Kjellker, who had eight of SDSU's 11 rounds below on the season, had a 74.67 scoring average in two stroke play events in the spring, which ranked second on the team. She opened her spring by going 3-0 at the Lamkin Invitational, helping the Aztecs to a team title, winning her first two matches by 7&6 results and never trailing over the three matches en route to being named the MW Women's Golfer of the Week. In the fall, Kjellker finished in the top 10 in all three events she competed in, leading the team with a 71.44 average. Kjellker tied for eighth at the Branch/McGuire Invitational (-3), tied for fourth at the Golfweek Conference Challenge (-7) and tied for seventh at the Molly Murphy Crowley Collegiate (+5), while being named the MW Women's Golfer of the Month for September.
Carpinelli, meanwhile, made the all-league first team for the second consecutive season, ranking second on the team with a 73.61 scoring average. The junior also tied for the team lead in even-par rounds (3), and tied for second in rounds in the 60s (1) and rounds below par (1).
In the spring, Carpinelli won all three matches at the Lamkin Invitational to help SDSU claim the team title. She also was 15th at the Bruin Wave Invitational (+7) and 21st at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational (+5). In the fall, her best finish was a tie with Kjellker for seventh place at the Molly Murphy Crowley Collegiate (+5). She also tied with Kjellker for the best performance by an Aztec at the Branch/McGuire Invitational (T-8th, -3).
San Diego State and Fresno State had four of the five first-team golfers. San José State's Natasha Andrea Oon, who Kjellker beat, 1 up, in the championship of the Lamkin Invitational, was named the MW Golfer of the Year, while New Mexico's Napat Lertsadwattana was chosen as the MW Freshman of the Year.
2019-20 Mountain West Women's Golf Honors
Golfer of the Year: Natasha Andrea Oon, San José State
Freshman of the Year: Napat Lertsadwattana, New Mexico
First Team
Gioia Carpinelli, San Diego State
Sara Kjellker, San Diego State
Harriet Lynch, Fresno State
Brigitte Thibault, Fresno State
Natasha Andrea Oon, San José State
Second Team
Napat Lertsadwattana, New Mexico
Kajsa Arwefjäll, San José State
Antonia Malate, San José State
Samantha Fuller, UNLV
Elina Saksa, UNLV