Cullowhee, N.C. – On the heels of her career-best, third-place finish at the 2025 Southern Conference Women's Golf Championship, Western Carolina senior
Elizabeth Lohbauer was today named to the All-Southern Conference team as the league office released the postseason awards voted on by the conference's head coaches.
The postseason honor is Lohbauer's third during her four-year playing career. She also collected SoCon All-Freshman team plaudits in 2021-22 and was selected to the All-SoCon team following WCU's historic 2022-23 season that saw the team win four events and make its postseason debut in the National Golf Invitational (NGI).
This season, Lohbauer found the podium at the conference champion crowning event in mid-April, improving upon her previous best career finish at the tournament after finishing tied for fifth as a freshman. The third place showing at the 2025 SoCon Championship marked her best of four Top 10 finishes this season. The Venice, Fla., product recorded a trio of ninth-place showings, including at the Tot Hill Farm Invitational and The Robbie, hosted by Lipscomb, back in the fall semester and at the Puerto Rico Shootout in early March.
Lohbauer led Western Carolina and ranked 15th in the SoCon with a seasonal stroke average of 75.46 over 28 combined rounds. She carded her best 18-hole score of the season with a 3-under par 69 in the final round of The Robbie, hosted by Lipscomb back in the fall, a stroke off her career-low single-round score.
Samford's Gabi Nicastro was selected as the SoCon Women's Golfer of the Year, while Emilia Väistö of Mercer was named the Freshman of the Year. Jeff Hull, who guided Furman to the conference championship and NCAA postseason berth, received Coach of the Year plaudits from his peers.
Mercer landed a league-best three on the All-SoCon team, with UNCG and tournament champion Furman both collecting two apiece. The honorary postseason team was rounded out by Lohbauer, Samford's player of the year in Nicastro, and one from Chattanooga. Furman and UNCG comprised four of the five SoCon All-Freshman spots with Mercer earning a fourth combined honoree.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's golf and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountWGolf).
2024-25 Southern Conference Player of the Year
Gabi Nicastro, Samford
2024-25 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year
Emilia Väistö, Mercer
2024-25 Southern Conference Coach of the Year
Jeff Hull, Furman
2024-25 All-Southern Conference Team
Alise Knudson, Furman
Audrey Ryu, Furman
Emilia Väistö, Mercer
Katie Scheck, Mercer
Mikayla Dubnik, Mercer
Ava Romfo, UNCG
Kasey McIlvaine, UNCG
Violeta Fernandez, Chattanooga
Gabi Nicastro, Samford
Elizabeth Lohbauer, Western Carolina
2024-25 All-Freshman Team
Eva Ringwald, Furman
Jenna Madden, Furman
Emilia Väistö, Mercer
Lulu Leetham, UNCG
Sophie Lauture, UNCG
