Delia Gibbs of Belmont headlines the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete Team as she has been named the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She is joined on the First Team by eight additional student-athletes, announced by the league office today. A total of 16 student-athletes received recognition by earning either first-team or honorable-mention honors.
Gibbs, a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Medal of Honor winner, earned the MVC's Elite 17 Award at the MVC Championship this year. She finished tied for fourth in the individual standings, while earning both MVC All-Conference and MVC All-Tournament team honors.
There were three repeat first-team picks on this year's squad, which was voted on by the league's golf sports information directors. Senior Abby Cavaiani of Missouri State became just the second MVC student-athlete to earn women's golf scholar-athlete team honors for four-straight years (Hannah Bermel of UNI is the other.) Additional repeat first-team picks include Kristen Giles of Drake (a three-time first-team pick) and Ali Schrock of Illinois State (a two-time first-team selection). Three other honorees were also honored as part of the 2022 all-MVC Scholar-Athlete Team, including Mara Flaherty and Megan Welch of Bradley, and Kayle Pfitzner of Missouri State.
In addition to the nine first-team selections, seven student-athletes received honorable mention selection by virtue of receiving a minimum number of votes. A total of 30 student-athletes were nominated for women’s golf scholar-athlete honors.
| First Team |
Yr. |
GPA |
| Payton Carter, Murray State |
Gr. |
3.95 Learning & Behavior Disorders (undergrad); 4.0 School Counseling |
| Abby Cavaiani, Missouri State |
Sr. |
3.86 Administrative Management |
| Anna Fay, Valparaiso |
So. |
4.00 Bioengineering |
| Delia Gibbs, Belmont |
Jr. |
4.00 Environmental Science |
| Kristen Giles, Drake |
Gr. |
3.99 Clinical & Applied (undergrad); 4.0 Pharmacy |
| Maria Perakis, Bradley |
So. |
4.00 Biochemistry |
| Ali Schrock, Illinois State |
Sr. |
4.00 Finance |
| Dasa Urbankova. UIC |
Gr. |
4.00 Kinesology (M.S.) |
| Avalon Woodward, Illinois State |
Jr. |
3.96 Marketing |
|
|
|
| Honorable Mention |
|
|
| Ryan Bender, Belmont |
Gr. |
3.795 Business Administration (undergrad); 4.0 MBA |
| Rylie Driskell, UNI |
So. |
3.98 Communication Science & Disorders |
| Mara Flaherty, Bradley |
Sr. |
3.97 Manufacturing Engineering |
| Secilia Ho, Southern Illinois |
Sr. |
3.96 Electrical Engineering |
| Kayla Pfitzner, Missouri State |
Jr. |
3.76 Marketing |
| Megan Tang, UIC |
Sr. |
3.92 Kinesology |
| Megan Welch, Bradley |
Sr. |
3.69 Mathematics- High School Education |
|
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| Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Delia Gibbs, Belmont |
The criteria for the MVC scholar-athlete team parallels the CSC (College Sports Communicators) standards for its Academic All-America® program. Nominated student-athletes must have participated in the MVC championship or 50 percent of the team's tournaments in season -- with legitimate athletic credentials -- and at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average (4.0 scale). Nominees in grad school must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better both as an undergrad AND in graduate school.