Trio of Razorbacks earn NGCA Scholar honors

FAYETTEVILLE – Emily Podzielinski, Emily Tubert and Victoria Vela earned selection to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team, the association announced this week.

Podzielinski is making her first appearance, Tubert her second and Vela her third on the coaches association team.  The criteria for selection to the academic team is among the most challenging in college athletics and includes a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50.

“I’m a firm believer that academic success is an indicator of athletic success in golf and these three young women are perfect examples of that,” Arkansas head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said.  “Pods, Emily and Vicky are committed to everything we do at Arkansas and that includes a strong emphasis on taking care of business in the classroom and I’m so proud of them for their selection to the coaches association all-scholar team.”

Podzielinski transferred to Arkansas in 2010-11 and redshirted her first season with the Razorbacks.  Last year, the Noblesville, Ind., native played in 11 tournaments averaging 77.76 over 33 rounds.  Podzielinski posted a Razorback career-best with a 227 tice first at the Tar Heel Invitational and again at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.

She is a recreation/sport management major at Arkansas.

Tubert, a Burbank, Calif., native wrapped her sophomore season which included her second All-America and Southeastern Conference First-Team honors as well as appearances at The Spirit International and on the Curtis Cup.

The team leader with a 72.50 stroke average, Tubert played in 10 tournaments with a low round of 68 and 14 rounds of par or better last season.  She is a broadcast journalism major at Arkansas.

Vela, a senior-to-be from Mansfield, Texas, is a three-year veteran of the Razorback program.  She competed in every event as a junior averaging 77.09 in 33 rounds.  Vela posted a season-low round of 71 in the first round of the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational and shot a season-best 223 twice last year.

Vela is majoring in marketing at Arkansas.

The Razorback women’s golf team returns to action in September beginning the 2012-13 season.