All-SoCon Women’s Golf Team Announced

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Gabi Nicastro has been named the Southern Conference Women’s Golf Player of the Year in voting conducted by the league’s nine head coaches. Mercer’s Emilia Väistö is the 2024-25 SoCon Freshman of the Year and Furman’s Jeff Hull is the league’s coach of the year.  

The league also named a 10-member all-conference team and a five-member all-freshman team, with the all-conference team determined by a combination of Clippd rankings and coaches’ votes and the all-freshman team voted on by the coaches. 

Nicastro, who was named the 2023-24 SoCon Freshman of the Year and is ranked at No. 120 nationally, turned in five first-place finishes during her sophomore campaign. The events where she topped the leaderboard were the Hoover Invitational in September, the Terrier Intercollegiate and Mercer Invitational in October, and the Huntsville.org Intercollegiate and Chris Banister Golf Classic in March.

She is Samford's first SoCon Golfer of the Year honoree.

The sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, was the SoCon Women’s Golfer of the Week four times this season and is also on the All-Conference team. Nicastro completed the season second in the conference in stroke average with a 72.86 over 28 rounds played.  

Väistö is ranked No. 326 in the nation according to Clippd, and is third in the SoCon in stroke average with a 73.26 mark over 27 rounds. The native of Seinäjoki, Finland, recorded her top finish at the Bears’ season opener in August at the Tiger Classic in Clemson, placing third in the field of 96. Her performance during this event earned her the SoCon’s first Women’s Golfer of the Week recognition of the season.   

Väistö led the Bears in stroke average this season and finished with four top-10 finishes this season. Her rookie campaign earned her a spot on the all-conference team and all-freshman squad. She is Mercer's first SoCon Freshman of the Year honoree.

Hull was named SoCon Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career. Hull led the Paladins to five top-10 finishes during the season, including the 2025 SoCon Championship.  

Nicastro was joined on the All-SoCon squad by the 2025 SoCon Championship Individual Champion, Audrey Ryu. A native of Dublin, Ohio, Ryu claimed her first career win during the SoCon tournament, fueled by a SoCon record 6-under-par 66 in the event’s opening round. Ryu was joined by teammate Alise Knudson.  

SoCon tournament runner-up, Chattanooga, had Violeta Fernandez-Tagle make the all-conference team. The sophomore is fourth in the league with a 73.37 stroke average.  

Mercer claimed three of the all-conference team spots, with Väistö, Mikayla Dubnik and Katie Scheck making the squad. Ranked third, fifth, and sixth in the conference in stroke average, respectively, the trio helped lead the Bears to a third-place finish at the conference championship.  

UNCG had four golfers earn postseason recognition. Ava Romfo and Kasey McIlvaine made the all-conference team, while Lulu Leetham and Sophie Lauture earned positions on the all-freshman team.  

Elizabeth Lohbauer from Western Carolina rounded out the all-conference team. The senior from Venice, Florida, placed third individually at the 2025 SoCon Championship.  

Furman clinched an automatic berth to the NCAA regionals by virtue of its SoCon Championship win. The NCAA field will be announced live on Wednesday, April 23, at 2 p.m. (ET), on the Golf Channel. 

2024-25 Southern Conference Player of the Year  

Gabi Nicastro, Samford  

2024-25 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year  

 Emilia Väistö, Mercer 

2024-25 Southern Conference Coach of the Year  

 Jeff Hull, Furman   

2024-25 All-Southern Conference Team  

Alise Knudson, Furman  

Audrey Ryu, Furman  

Emilia Väistö, Mercer  

Katie Scheck, Mercer  

Mikayla Dubnik, Mercer  

Ava Romfo, UNCG 

Kasey McIlvaine, UNCG 

Violeta Fernandez-Tagle, Chattanooga  

Gabi Nicastro, Samford  

Elizabeth Lohbauer, Western Carolina 

2024-25 All-Freshman Team  

Eva Ringwald, Furman  

Jenna Madden, Furman  

Emilia Väistö, Mercer  

Lulu Leetham, UNCG  

Sophie Lauture, UNCG