April 26, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina senior women’s golf standout Jenna Pearson earned a spot on the second-team all-Southeastern Conference squad, the conference announced Thursday. It is the first time in her career that Pearson has received all-conference honors, with the recognition coming on the heels of Pearson being named the South Carolina Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Gamecocks’ All-Sports Banquet earlier in the week.

Pearson set a school record for lowest single round when she carded a 66 in the second round at the SEC Championships last week to finish tied for fifth place. Her school record round bested the previous mark of 67, set by current LPGA pro Kristy McPherson in 2001 and matched by Pearson in the season-opener this year. Pearson stands as one of only 10 golfers in school history to post a round in the 60’s.

The Wheaton, Ill., native leads the Gamecocks with a career-best 74.85 stroke average and has played in all nine tournaments this year. She has not missed a tournament for three consecutive years. Ranked 40th in the nation in the latest GolfWeek rankings, Pearson is eighth nationally in most subpar holes with seven and leads the team with five top 20 finishes this season, including three top five finishes.

Pearson was also named the South Carolina Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award at the 2007 Gamecock All-Sports Awards Banquet on April 23 in addition to being recognized as the women’s golf team most valuable player. She is a three-time member of the National Golf Coaches Association All-Scholar Team.

The Gamecocks returned to the GolfWeek national poll at No. 25 this week. The team will next hit the course from May 10-12 at the NCAA Regional Championships.