May 20, 2010
By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - One of the most remarkable student-athletes on the UCF campus put another feather in her cap and gown on Thursday as women's golfer Katie Detlefsen (Eagan, Minn.) was named to the At Large ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team by members of CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Detlefsen, a junior who was also an All-Conference USA selection on the course this past year, graduated in two years with a 4.0 GPA and she has maintained that perfect mark through her first year of graduate school. Detlefsen's bachelor's degree was in advertising/public relations while she is presently working on a master's in mass communications. She was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team for the second consecutive year last month.
On the course, the native Minnesotan had a tremendous improvement in 2009-10 where her 77.28 stroke average was well ahead of her 79.17 from 2008-09 and 80.65 from 2007-08. For her efforts, Detlefsen was rewarded with a spot on the Conference USA third team, one of three Knights to be so honored. Detlefsen had the first five par-or-better rounds of her career this past year and two top 10 finishes after having just one during her first two years combined. Detlefsen's 218 at the FIU/Pat Bradley Invitational in October tied for the fourth-best par-72 54-hole tournament score in school history. She also had a top 20 finish in February's Hurricane Invitational as the Knights claimed their first team title since 2002. She was UCF's top finisher at both the UCF Challenge and the Tiger/Wave Classic.
The At Large team is the most difficult to earn a spot on because, instead of single-sport Academic All-America teams such as basketball and softball, 13 different women's sports are included for At Large consideration - bowling, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, rowing, skiing, swimming, tennis and water polo.
As one of 10 members selected to the all-district first team, Detlefsen is eligible for At Large ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America consideration, an award which will be announced on June 10. Detlefsen is amongst 80 elite student-athletes eligible for the honor, a group that includes the 10 first-team selections from each of CoSIDA's eight districts. UCF is a part of CoSIDA's district three which is comprised of schools in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve for her team, at least a sophomore and maintain a 3.30 or higher cumulative GPA.
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