Caroline Ordian, a sophomore from the University of Redlands, was named the women’s golf nominee for the Class of 2016 Division III Honda Athlete of the Year as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
She is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Honda Athlete of the Year honor. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 40th year.
“Wow, this is an incredible honor,” stated Ordian. “It’s really awesome. I just go out and play golf, and I don’t really think about winning these awards. We set goals but I just want to play well, so this seems to come out of nowhere.”
“As a team, going to nationals has been our goal for many years and by getting there two years in a row, we have gained a lot of confidence and motivation to keep working hard. I’m really honored to represent Redlands women’s golf in this way.”
Named the Ping Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Division III Player of the Year, Ordian went on to claim medalist honors at the 2016 NCAA National Championship while leading her team to a program record sixth-place finish. Ordian is the first women’s golfer in Redlands’ program history to win an NCAA Individual Championship in its 10-year existence.
The sophomore from Palm Desert, Calif., continues to rewrite the Bulldog record books. In addition to her Player of the Year honor, she has won back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Athlete of the Year awards, and a pair of All-America nods.
As NCAA Division III's top golfer on GolfStat throughout the season, Ordian owns an adjusted scoring average of 74.61 with a compare record of 651-1. She had five medalist showings this season including her national title and the SCIAC Championship Tournament in come-from-behind fashion. Her best round of 64 came in the first 18 holes of the fall season en route to winning the Western New Mexico Invitational with a two-round score of 136, which reset the school record for 36 holes.
"As a coach, this is the ultimate of ultimate achievements," said Redlands head coach Jack Stewart. "Caroline is like a daughter to me and I’m so impressed with what she has accomplished in just two years at the University of Redlands. I’m very happy for her. Overall, this is a significant step in the right direction of our program."
All sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2016 Honda Collegiate Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, and will be presented on a live telecast on June 27, 2016, in the Founders’ Room at the Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California in downtown Los, Angeles.
The sports nominees are recognized in 11 DIII and DII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.
The CWSA, celebrating its 40th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship thirty years ago in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.0 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.