SSC Honors Kiira Riihijarvi as UT’s First Golfer of the Year
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Twelve student-athletes have been named to the 2019 Sunshine State Conference women’s golf All-Conference teams. Kiira Riihijarvi of the University of Tampa is awarded Golfer of the Year, Nova Southeastern University’s Hanna Ahlander is named Freshman of the Year, and Marcelo Huarte of Lynn University is honored as Coach of the Year.
Voting for the All-SSC Women’s Golf Teams was conducted among the league’s women’s golf coaches.
SSC Women’s Golf All-Conference History: All-SSC Teams | Golfers & Coaches of the Year
Riihijarvi, a junior from Oulu, Finland, is named conference Golfer of the Year following four tournament victories in 2018-19, including the SSC Championship. She finished Top-4 in eight of her nine tournaments this year and posted a scoring average of 70.87 across 23 rounds, which bests a talented field of SSC golfers by 2.26 strokes. Riihijarvi is not only the first Tampa Spartan to win the conference’s women’s title, but is also the first to be named Golfer of the Year.
Ahlander closed out the 2019 season strong to earn Freshman of the Year honors. The product of Vasteras, Sweden finished second her final regular season tournament two-weeks before taking third at the SSC championship. Ahlander averaged 74.96 strokes per round across her 25 rounds this season, placing her 12th among league golfers. She is the fifth NSU women’s golfer to win Freshman of the Year, first since 20131.
Huarte is selected SSC Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm of Lynn women’s golf. Under his leadership, the No. 8 ranked Fighting Knights finished Top-5 in every tournament this season, third or better six times, and posted victories at the LMU Women’s Spring Kickoff and SSC Championship. Huarte becomes the second head coach from Lynn to win SSC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year2.
Tilda Larsson of Barry University highlights the repeat All-SSC winners for 2019 season as she takes home First Team accolades for the fourth consecutive year. Larsson is the fourth SSC women’s golfer to earn four First Team awards during her career, first from Barry3. Along with Riihijarvi, Seher Atwal of Rollins College moves up to the First Team from Second Team honors a year ago. Also repeating as All-SSC are Nova Southeastern University’s Sophie Madden and Aldana Foigel as well as Florida Southern College’s Amanda Gartrell.
Golfer of the Year: Kiira Riihijarvi, Tampa
Freshman of the Year: Hanna Ahlander, Nova Southeastern
Coach of the Year: Marcelo Huarte, Lynn
| 2019 All-SSC First Team | School | Year | Hometown |
| Kiira Riihijarvi^ | Tampa | Jr. | Oulu, Finland |
| Tilda Larsson*‡#~%† | Barry | Sr. | Emmaboda, Sweden |
| Seher Atwal^ | Rollins | Jr. | Delhi, India |
| Helen Kreuzer | Lynn | Jr. | Bensheim, Germany |
| Sofia Garcia Austt | Nova Southeastern | So. | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| 2019 All-SSC Second Team | School | Year | Hometown |
| Sophie Madden* | Nova Southeastern | Sr. | Essex, England |
| Josefina Foa Torres | Barry | Jr. | Cordoba, Argentina |
| Amanda Gartrell* | Florida Southern | Jr. | Lakeland, Florida |
| Krissy Ortiz | Lynn | Sr. | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico |
| Aldana Foigel@ | Nova Southeastern | Sr. | Plottier, Argentina |
| Synne Lauritzen | Saint Leo | So. | Sarpsborg, Norway |
| 2019 All-SSC Honorable Mention | School | Year | Hometown |
| Noemie Pare^ | Barry | Jr. | Victoriaville, Quebec |
* = 2018 All-SSC First Team
^ = 2018 All-SSC Second Team
‡ = 2018 Golfer of the Year
# = 2017 All-SSC First Team
% = 2016 Golfer of the Year
~ = 2016 All-SSC First Team
@ = 2016 All-SSC Second Team
† = 2016 All-SSC Freshman of the Year
1Maria Garcia-Austt (2007), Sandra Changkija (2008), Abbey Gittings (2010), Daniela Ortiz (2012), Linnea Johansson (2013)
2 Lynn’s Danny Randolph won in 2012 and 2014
3 Jennifer Beames, Rollins (00-03); Charlotte Campbell, Rollins (03-06); Mariana De Biase, Rollins (03-06); Maria Garcia Austt, Nova Southeastern (07-10)4
4 Sister of 2019 First Team member Sophia Garcia Austt