East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University has had two of its women's golf players honored in the Mid-American Conference's annual awards for the 2024-25 season, announced on April 25. Savannah de Bock was named to the All-MAC First Team, while Mariana Vega made the All-MAC Second Team.

This recognition marks the first time multiple Eastern Michigan University (EMU) players have been selected since 2015. De Bock, from Belgium, had a standout season by setting six of the top eight 54-hole scores in the program's history, including a school-record 204 at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic. She is noted for being a regular top finisher, securing top 10 placements in six events and top 20 finishes in 11 out of 13 tournaments. With an average score of 72.9, she has surpassed the previous school record set in the 2015-16 season. De Bock is ranked No. 129 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and will represent EMU at the NCAA Columbus Regional, marking a first for the program.

Vega, originally from Colombia, excelled during her first collegiate season by achieving three top 20 finishes, including an eighth-place finish at the River Landing Classic. She recorded three tournament scores of 219 or less, marking some of the best in EMU history. Vega finished her season with an average stroke of 75.5, establishing herself among the top performers in program history.

This year, the selections for de Bock and Vega mark the 17th and 18th such awards for the program. De Bock's selection as a First Team member is particularly noteworthy, with the program having seen such an honor only 10 times previously. Vega is the 13th player to earn second-team honors from the school. Both players’ selection signifies a return to prominence for EMU's women's golf team not seen since the era of Kelsey Murphy and Karyn Lee Ping in 2015.

Looking ahead, while the team competition has concluded, de Bock will continue to compete at the NCAA Columbus Regional from May 5 to 7 at Ohio State University Golf Club. The event is one of several used to determine participants for the NCAA Championships later in May.

The MAC also announced other awardees: Casey VanDamme from Kent State was named Coach of the Year, and Kent State players Veronika Kedronova and Gracie Larsen received the Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, respectively.