Budnik Named Academic All-Southland
5/16/2016 3:15:00 PM | Women's Golf
Sam Houston State's Nicole Budnik has been named to the 2016 Academic All-Southland Conference Women's Golf Team following a stellar senior season both inside the classroom and on the course.
For Budnik, the award concludes a decorated four-year career with the Bearkats. The two-time second-team conference honoree averaged a score of 75.88 and fired a low of 68, coming at the UTRGV Invitational, which she won, on the season.
The Woodlands product posted a 3.88 GPA while majoring in marketing at Sam Houston. Budnik is just one of five players to be named to the prestigious squad.
“Academics is very important to us,” head coach Brandt Kieschnick said. “We talk about what you do in the classroom will lead to good stuff on the golf course. We have very high standards. She was an all-conference player and obviously worked hard in the classroom.”
During the 2015-16 season, Sam Houston played in tournaments across six different stats including visits to Tennessee, Oklahoma, Washington, Arkansas and Florida. According to Kieschnick, the quality courses in the greater Houston area prepared the squad for those visits.
“When we go all over the country, they aren't surprised by a certain type of golf course,” Kieschnick said. “We play a lot of big golf courses with traps and water and you have to manage golf courses here, which is what you do when you travel. From course condition to a variety of courses to the championship-level courses we play, it really prepares us for anything.”
Budnik finished tied for 18th at 18-over, 234, at the league championship. The Bearkats, who tied the leaderboard each day to finish fourth, also added two top team finishes this season and look to ride the momentum into their 2016-17 campaign.
“She was a fantastic senior,” Kieschnick said. “She was very consistent and obviously what she did in the classroom just shows what we want in our players. She had a great four years. She finally got her win and she always won in the classroom.”
