CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Four members of the Jacksonville State women's golf team have been honored by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) for their performance in the classroom over the past year.
The WGCA released its 2019-20 All-American Scholars on Monday, and Gamecocks
Ana Perez Altuna,
Claire Vermette,
Layne Dyar and
Valentina Curet were listed. They were key parts in not only leading the Gamecocks on the links, but also guiding them to a team 3.67 grade point average over the 2019-20 academic year and a 3.81 GPA during the spring semester.
That 3.81 GPA was the highest of any of JSU's 17 varsity sports in the spring semester, while their overall GPA for the year was the second highest.
The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. Student-athletes with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 over the course of the 2019-20 academic year were eligible for the team.
Vermette led the quartet with a 4.0 GPA during what was her sophomore season on the course for JSU. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native and communications major holds a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA through two seasons at JSU and has also been named to the league's all-conference team in both seasons. She was the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year.
Curet, a junior from Santiago del Estero, Argentina, earned a spot on the All-American Scholars list by posting a 3.91 GPA during the 2019-20 year. Majoring in applied manufacturing and engineering at JSU, she held a 4.0 GPA during the fall and a 3.82 GPA in the spring. Through her junior season, Curet maintains a 3.83 cumulative GPA.
Perez Altuna, also an All-OVC player on the course, posted a 3.81 GPA over the past academic year to secure her spot on the All-American Scholars list. One of the OVC's most consistent players, she also displayed that in the classroom with a 3.60 GPA in the fall and a perfect 4.0 in the spring. The marketing major from Buenos Aires, Argentina, holds a cumulative GPA of 3.67 through her three seasons at JSU.
Dyar, a senior from While Plains, Ala., thought she'd finished her JSU career in 2020 before word that the NCAA was going to allow another year of eligibility after COVD-19 cut her final season short. She decided to return for the 2020-21 season after earning all-conference honors and posting a 3.67 GPA in her final year of working toward the finance degree she received in May. She graduated with a 3.92 cumulative GPA and will pursue her Master's in Business Administration as she extends her athletic career.
