Golf’s Ella Kraft has been named the Sacramento State Female Freshman of the Year.
Ella Kraft, a golfer from Uppsala, Sweden, has been awarded the title of Sacramento State Female Newcomer of the Year. She was also recognized as the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the first-team all-league. Throughout the season, she achieved an impressive feat of completing 13 rounds at or below par, which tied the school’s single-season record. Her average score of 73.65 in 31 rounds ranks as the 11th best in school history and the third lowest by a Hornet freshman. In her debut, she tied for third place at the Coeur d’Alene Collegiate tournament with rounds of 71-71-69-211. Additionally, she recorded a score of 69 at the Evie Odom Invitational and Riverside Classic. Ella Kraft has a bright future ahead at Sacramento State as she is majoring in Business and will continue to thrive in golf. Congratulations to Ella Kraft!
Other Nominees
Ella Kraft is the Sacramento State Female Freshman of the Year, but she certainly is not the only worthy candidate.
Ava Fitzgerald (Track & Field)
Ava advanced to the NCAA West First Round in the 100-meter hurdles and posted a time of 13.74 in her heat. This stands as the fastest time recorded by a Sacramento State freshman and tied her for sixth place in school history. Fitzgerald earned all-Big Sky honors after finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles at the conference meet. She consistently ran sub-14 seconds in her final four races of the season and secured first place at the Causeway Classic Dual meet. Fitzgerald also played a crucial role in the 4×100 relay team’s third-place finish at the Big Sky Championship. Additionally, she ran the 60-meter hurdles in 8.50 seconds, placing second at the Big Sky Indoors, which is the fifth-best time in school history.
Sarah Lutrel (Gymnastics)
Sarah received first-team all-MPSF recognition as an all-around gymnast. She was awarded three MPSF Freshman of the Week titles and achieved at least a share of first place in vault and beam twice, bars once, and in the all-around competition twice. Lutrel ranked second on the team with an average score of 9.703 on vault and tied for second with an NQS (national qualifying score) of 9.740. Her season averages were 9.636 on bars, 9.644 on beam, 9.682 on floor, and 38.600 in the all-around. She achieved a season-high score of 39.150 in the all-around against Alaska Anchorage.
Katie Marsh (Softball)
As a true freshman, Katie received honorable mention all-conference recognition. She played in 41 games, starting 36 of them (32 as a catcher and four as a designated player). Marsh led the Hornets softball team with a batting average of .330 (34-for-103) while contributing 21 runs, eight doubles, one triple, one home run, 16 RBIs, 12 walks, a .405 on-base percentage, and .840 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). She tied for third on the team with five stolen bases and achieved a streak of reaching base safely in 11 consecutive games. Marsh’s notable performance includes going 4-for-4 on February 26 against Santa Clara, which tied the program’s record for most hits in a single game in the Div. I era.
Harper Waring (Rowing)
Harper competed in the Hornets’ top boat (Varsity Eight) as a true freshman in all nine spring races. In the first three races, she occupied the six-seat before taking on the stroke position for the final six races. Notably, she stroked the varsity eight to a bronze medal at the WIRA Championship and helped secure a victory against Kansas State by over six seconds at the Hornet Invite. Waring also stroked the varsity eight as a freshman at the American Athletic Conference Championship.
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