Ana Maria Jimenez Rios Takes Top Honor as SSC Awards Announced

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Fifteen student-athletes have been named to the 2024 Sunshine State Conference women's golf All-Conference teams. The University of Tampa was represented by Ana Maria Jimenez Rios, who was recognized as the league's top golfer. Saint Leo University, the 2024 SSC Champion, wins three honors, including Coach of the Year honors. Voting for the All-SSC Women's Golf Teams was conducted among the league's women's golf coaches.

SSC Women's Golf All-Conference History: All-SSC Teams| Golfers & Coaches of the Year

Conference coaches choose Ana Maria Jimenez Rios from Tampa as the SSC Golfer of the Year. The junior from Merida, Mexico, posted three Top-5 performances in eight tournaments this season, including wins at the Buccaneer Invitational and Lady Moc Classic. Jimenez Rios most recently earned a second-place finish at the SSC Championship. Her 72.73 adjusted scoring average across 24 rounds ranks ninth on Clippd's Scoreboard, and her comparative record is 442-73-12 for a .820 win percentage. Jimenez Rios is the third Fighting Knight to win the award and the first since 2021¹. The Sunshine State Conference Golfer of the Year award is presented by College Ave Student Loans.

Lynn's Charlotte Brook wins Freshman of the Year honors. The Poole, England product recorded seven Top-15 finishes for the Fighting Knights, including Top-5 at the UIndy Fall Invitational and Lady Moc 2.0. Brook ranks 24th in Golfstat's rankings with a 73.1 adjusted scoring average and a 598-117-27 comparative record in her 29 rounds this season for a .806 win percentage. She is the fourth Lynn women's golfer to win Freshman of the Year and the first since 2021².

Lyndsey Bevill from Saint Leo is honored as SSC Coach of the Year by her peers. Bevill steered the No. 14 Lions to the program's first SSC Championship title. Saint Leo also finished third or better four times, including a win at the SMSU Classic. The Lions own an 85-33-3 record in Division II across 31 rounds played, and four SLU golfers rank Top-75 in the Scoreboard standings. Bevill is the first Saint Leo women's golf coach to earn SSC Coach of the Year.

Jimenez Rios and Lynn's Sara Ericsson highlight the repeat All-SSC selections with their third consecutive all-conference honors. Jimenez Rios is promoted to the First Team after back-to-back Second Team nods in 2022 & 2023. Ericsson earns Third Team honors following First Team accolades in 2022 & 2023. Nova Southeastern's Anderson joins the First Team this year after a Second Team nod in 2023. Barry's Nina Klug collects First Team accolades after earning Second Team laurels in 2022. She was also named Freshman of the Year following the 2022 season.

Golfer of the Year: Ana Maria Jimenez Rios, Tampa

Freshman of the Year: Charlotte Brook, Lynn

Coach of the Year: Lyndsey Bevill, Saint Leo

= 2023 All-SSC First Team
^ = 2023 All-SSC Second Team

† = 2022 All-SSC First Team

‡ = 2022 All-SSC Second Team
~ = 2022 Freshman of the Year

¹ Previous Tampa Golfers of the Year: Kiira Riihijarvi (2019 & 2021)

² Lynn's Freshman of the Year Winners: Freska Darlion (1999), Esther Lee (2002), Natasha Morgan (2004), Camila Madariaga (2021)

Saint Leo University, the 2024 SSC Champion, wins three honors, including Coach of the Year honors. Voting for the All-SSC Women's Golf Teams was conducted among the league's women's golf coaches.