Wingate’s Mind Puangcharoen is a second team NCAA All-American
STORY COURTESY OF WINGATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Coral Springs, Fla.---Wingate University junior Mind Puangcharoen (Bowin Sriracha, Chonburi, Thailand) is an NCAA Division II All-American second team selection, as named by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). The 2019 South Atlantic Conference women's Golfer of the Year is the first WGCA All-American in the program's history.
"We are really excited and proud of Mind," Wingate Director of Student-Athlete Development and women's golf coach Erin Thorne says. "One of her first questions of the semester was 'what does it take to be an All-American?' I know this is something she'll be very proud of and will spur on her desire to achieve greater heights during her senior year."
Puangcharoen competed in the NCAA Division II South Super Regional earlier this month. She tied for 26th place with a 54-hole total of 228. A first team All-SAC selection, her 2018-19 scoring average of 74.5 strokes per round is the best in SAC history.
MIND PUANGCHAROEN NOTES
-Puangcharoen tallied a career-best 68 in the first round at the Rollins Legends Invitational on Nov. 5, 2018.
-This spring, she posted a 69 in the second round of the Sunoco/Campbell Oil Classic on March 25, 2019.
-Puangcharoen had four top-five finishes, seven top-10 showings and nine top-20 placements this year.
-She won the 16th annual Flagler Fall Slam on the first playoff hole Oct. 23, 2018, notching her first career individual title.
-Puangcharoen recorded back-to-back scores of even-par 72 for a 144 in the 36-hole Flagler event.
-At Wingate's next tourney, she finished tied for second at the Rollins Legends Invitational with an even-par total of 216 (54 holes).
-Puangcharoen tied for 11th place at the SAC women's golf championships with a 54-hole score of 228.
WINGATE WOMEN'S GOLF NOTES
-Wingate is the number 23 team in the most recent NCAA Division II WGCA coaches' top 25 poll.
-The Bulldogs are the number 24 team in the Golfstat relative team rankings.
-Wingate finished third in the South Atlantic Conference women's golf tournament in April.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Carson-Newman University head women's golf coach Suzanne Strudwick: "Mind is very competitive…I like to call players like her a 'quiet assassin.' She is a wonderful competitor…our student-athletes have had several opportunities to play with her throughout the year. There is no gamesmanship with Mind…she plays her game and her opponent plays her game…and the best person wins."
"Mind has a genuine concern for others. On the course, she is extremely pleasant…very friendly, nice and polite. Maeve Cummins from our team…has played several rounds with Mind this year, including a pairing in the NCAA regionals. Maeve told me she enjoyed competing with Mind."
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 12 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 106 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 115 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.