Red Wing native, Gophers senior Herzog honored by Big Ten
Apr. 27—Leah Herzog's college golf career came to a close last Sunday at the Big Ten Conference championships.
The Red Wing native and University of Minnesota senior went out with honors, being named the Sportsmanship Award winner by the Big Ten.
She played in all 10 tournaments for the Gophers this season, with a scoring average of 78.25. She had a low round of 69 this season and capped her college career by tying for 65th at the Big Ten championships, with a three-round total of 235 (77-77-81).
Herzog won the Minnesota Miss Golf Award in 2019 as a senior at Red Wing High School. She helped the Wingers win the Class AA state championship that season and finished as the state runner-up to teammate Sophia Yoemans.
Herzog set two course records during her high school career, with a 65 at The Jewel in Lake City, and a 65 at The Bridges in Winona.
A four-time All-State selection, Herzog began her college career at the University of Nebraska, where she produced the fifth-best scoring average by a freshman in program history, 76.65.
She also carded the best round ever by a Nebraska true freshman when she shot a 6-under par 66 at the Golfweek Conference Challenge.
Gophers freshmen Isabella McCauley and Luisamariana Mesones have been selected to compete in the 2023 NCAA Women's Regionals May 8-10 in Westfield, Ind., at The Club at Chatham Hills. This is the first time in six years a player from Minnesota will compete in the NCAA tournament.
McCauley was recently named an All-Big Ten Second Team selection and finished in second place at the Big Ten championships. She also was awarded Big Ten Golfer of the Week on April 5 after her fifth-place performance at the Chattanooga Classic. She led the team in top-10 finishes and had a low round of 63.
Mesones has four top-10 finishes this season. She also has the second-lowest scoring average (73.54) on the team and is ranked 160th on Golf Stat.
Both players will compete in the Westfield regional May 8-10. The top two individuals from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championship Finals, May 19-24 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
