ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum's Katie Tomassoni has been named this year's recipient of the South Atlantic Conference Women's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year Award announced league officials Tuesday.
The SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award is presented annually to a student-athlete in each of the conference's 20 championship sports and is selected by the league's faculty athletic representatives.
Tomassoni, a junior from Mason, Ohio, has a 3.76 cumulative grade point average while majoring in sport management. She is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.
This marks the third time that a Tusculum women's golfer has earned SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year honors, joining Brooke Robins (2002-03) and Jillian Corum (2012-13).
The three-time All-Conference selection earned All-SAC second honors in 2017 and was an All-Conference honorable mention selection in 2016 and 2018. She enjoyed her best season at Tusculum this past year where she tallied 77.43 stroke average, which is the fifth-lowest in the TC record book. She amassed eight top-10 finishes including a team-leading five times in the top-5.
"Katie is one of the most humble and hardworking student-athletes I have seen at Tusculum," said interim golf coach Nick Forsberg. "She has been a great ambassador for our team and does an outstanding job in balancing academics, community service and leadership along with her athletic responsibilities. Katie is an outstanding recipient of this prestigious award."
Tomassoni won the Dibble Classic where she posted back-to-back rounds of 73-73=146 to capture her second tournament medal of her collegiate career. She tied for third at the LeeAnn Noble Memorial and finished fourth at the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate. She opened the spring season with back-to-back fifth place finishes at the Barton Invitational and the Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate. Tomassoni closed out the regular season with a ninth place showing at the McAmis Memorial. She finished seventh at last month's SAC Championship to earned All-Tournament honors for a second straight year.
Tomassoni has a 78.28 career stroke average at Tusculum which is third-best in school history. The 2018 Tusculum team most valuable player has led the Pioneers to five tournament team titles during her collegiate career. She is also a three-time WGCA Division II All-America Scholar.
"Being a student-athlete takes a lot of patience, drive and dedication. Sometimes it can be overwhelming but you cannot give up because there is so much joy and reward in the end," said Tomassoni. "I am still in shock and it is taking a while for this to sink in. I am very grateful for receiving this honor."
She has worked numerous golf camps in both Ohio and Florida and has been a volunteer instructor with the First Tee Program. Her community service efforts encompass the Greeneville Animal Shelter, Adopt-A-Highway Program, Tusculum Theatre Outreach Program, and has volunteered at the annual Old Oak Festival at Tusculum. She also serves as vice president with the Pioneer Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
