Dec. 1, 2011

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s golf signee Sarah Schmelzel recently added to her already lengthy list of accolades as she was named the 2011 Arizona High School Girls’ Golfer of the Year by the Arizona Republic.

Schmelzel, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., completed a stellar high school career this fall as she won medalist honors at the 2011 Arizona State High School Championship and led Xavier Prep to its third team state title in four years. She carded rounds of 71-66 at the state championship to tie the Arizona state high school scoring record with Amanda Blumenhurst, who was a three-time national collegiate player of the year at Duke.

Schmelzel is currently ranked No. 19 nationally in the Class of 2012 by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard. She is also the No. 54 player nationally in the Golfweek junior rankings. She won the American Junior Golf Association Bass Pro Shops/Payne Stewart Championship in Springfield, Mo. in August by 12 strokes with rounds of 69-71-70.