UNLV senior Dana Finkelstein was selected as the Mountain West Golfer of the Year for the third consecutive year and freshman Harley Dubsky was named the MW Freshman of the Year, as the conference announced its 2014-15 individual awards at the conclusion of its championship at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club on Wednesday. It was, indeed, a good year for the UNLV Women golfers. –From UNLV Sports Information.
“I am extremely proud of our team this season, especially Harley and Dana,” head coach Amy Bush-Herzer said. “They have played tremendously all year and it is great to have them recognized for their hard work.”
Finkelstein entered this week’s tournament ranked 18th by Golfstat and sixth by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. She recorded two victories this season, winning the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational and the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, and turned in six top-five finishes this season, including a third place finish at the conference championship. Finkelstein entered the tournament with a scoring average of 71.50, which is the lowest average for a season in school history.
It is the seventh time that a student athlete from UNLV has been named the MW Women’s Golfer of the Year. Finkelstein, who became the first Rebel to win the award twice in her career last season, is only the second golfer is conference history to be honored three times in her career. New Mexico’s Jodi Ewart garnered the award four-consecutive years 2006-10. UNLV’s Sunny Oh (2003-04), Elena Kurokawa (2004-05), Da Sol Chung (2005-06) and Therese Koelbaek (2010-11) earned the honor. Finkelstein becomes the first back-to-back recipient, and fourth ever, since New Mexico’s Jodi Ewart garnered the aware in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
“Dana has had a tremendous career and I am very happy for her,” Bush-Herzer said. “The fact she was named MW Golfer of the Year for the third straight year is just incredible. She has been the face of our program for four years and she has a very bright future ahead of her.”
Dubsky, who ranks 34th by Golfstat, becomes the sixth golfer in program history to earn Freshman of the Year honors. She becomes the first golfer to earn the honor since Finkelstein and Mayko Chwen Wang split the honor in 2012. She tied for 16th at the MW Championship
The Valparaiso, Ind. native entered the championship with the second lowest scoring average in the conference at 72.96 and finished in top-10 finishes four times this season. Her best finish was tie for sixth, which she did twice, at the PING/ASU Invitational and at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational. Following her play at the PING/ASU Invitational, she was named the Mountain West Golfer of the Week.
“Harley played great this year and adjusted to the collegiate game very well,” Bush-Herzer said. “It’s awesome for her to receive Freshman of the Year honors. I am very proud of her and she will be a major part of our program in the years to come.”
The Conference will announce its All-Conference team and Coach of the Year during the week of April 27.