STANFORD, Calif. – A school record three Stanford student-athletes have been named to the Pac-12 Women's Golf All-Conference First Team.
Senior Casey Danielson from Osceola, Wisconsin, freshman Andrea Lee from Hermosa Beach, California, and freshman Albane Valenzuela from Vesenaz, Switzerland made the unit, tying Arizona State for the most in the league.
"I feel great for the program," said Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf. "That's 25 percent of the First Team that's coming from Stanford. To think of the league we play in with USC, UCLA, ASU – all top eight programs in the country. So for us to have three of those spots just speaks volumes. And for two of those spots to be freshmen … as a coach, I'm doing backflips."
A public policy major, Danielson was an honorable mention pick as a freshman in 2013-14 and is a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention selection. In 10 events this season, she has collected eight top 10s and six top 5's while compiling a 72.30 scoring average, second on the squad. Danielson has posted 12 rounds of par or better.
Her best showing was second in the East Lake Cup in Atlanta, Georgia, where Danielson lost on the sixth hole of a sudden playoff to Lee. Both recorded 4-under 68s.
Danielson tied for third at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate in New Orleans, posting a career-best 67 in the second round, and at the Bruin Wave Invitational.
"This is the way we thought she could play all along," Walker said. "It has been great to see."
Lee came to Stanford as a nationally decorated junior player last fall and promptly won her first collegiate start at the Windy City Collegiate Classic in Chicago. She fired rounds of 68-71-67 to finish at 10-under and won the title by pouring in a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.
Lee prevailed again at the East Lake Cup, drilling a 25-foot birdie putt in the playoff against Danielson. Lee added her third victory at the Peg Barnard Invitational at Stanford Golf Course, registering back-to-back 67s to finish at 8-under.
In nine starts this season, Lee has seven top 3s and 14 rounds of par or better, including 10 in the 60s. Her 71.26 scoring average is on track to break the Stanford freshman and season records.
"Andrea has had a terrific year," said Walker. "Her patience is a little low in that she is ready to win again. But that's all part of learning. For a freshmen to have won three is a big start."
Valenzuela came to The Farm after representing her country in the Rio Olympics, where she shared low amateurs honors. Ranked fourth in the World Amateur Rankings, she has overcome injuries to earn four top 11 finishes in seven starts.
Her best showing was third at the Pac-12 Preview., where she forged a 3-under 70. Valenzuela also tied for third at the Bruin Wave Invitational, fashioning a first-round 2-under 70 in tough conditions. Her low round to date was a 3-under 69 in the second round of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate. Valenzuela's 73.58 average is third on the team.
"For her to make the first team considering all she has had to deal with from the get-go is a testament to her resilience," said Walker. "She hasn't had the season she thought she would have, but it bodes well for the future."
Also making the Pac-12 First Team were Mariel Galdiano and Lliia Vu of UCLA; Olivia Mehaffey, Linnea Strom and Monica Vaughn of Arizona State, Victoria Morgan and Robynn Ree of USC and Krystal Quihuis of Arizona.
Stanford resumes competition May 8-10 as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Albuquerque Regional in New Mexico.