July 2, 2009

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Former Lady Vol golfer Nicole Smith and rising junior Rebecca Watson were named to the 2008-09 National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team on Wednesday.

For Smith, who just wrapped up a stellar four-year career in the Orange and White, it's her third straight NGCA academic All-American award, while Watson snagged her second consecutive honor.

The pair was also named to the Southeastern Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll on Wednesday.

A human development major, Smith battled back from injury to play in six tournaments in 2008-09 and finished second on the Lady Vols in stroke average (75.47). The Riverside, Calif., native placed in the top-20 three times and helped lead UT to its fifth NCAA Championships appearance in six years - finishing 96th individually at the national tournament in Owings Mills, Md., in May.

Watson, a business major, competed in seven tournaments for the Lady Vols this past season. Her top performance came at the UT-hosted Mercedes-Benz Women's Collegiate Championships in October, where she led the Lady Vols to an eighth-place team finish at the Fox Den Country Club in Knoxville with a tied for 15th-place individual finish. An Edinburgh, Scotland, native, Watson finished the season with a 79.10 average.

Members of the NGCA All-American Scholar Team must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 and the student-athletes must have competed in at least 50-percent of the team's regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.