NEW ORLEANS – Haley Yerxa has been named the Sun Belt Conference Women's Golf Newcomer of the Year and second-team all-conference, and Abby Newton earns first-team all-league honors for the second straight season as the Sun Belt announced its postseason awards today. 

A graduate transfer from Florida Gulf Coast, Yerxa played in 10 events for Georgia Southern, recording a 74.96 scoring average. She tied for 16th at the Sun Belt Conference Championship and collected two top-5 finishes and six top-20 showings. Her best finish on the season was second place at the Ford Invite, and her best round of the year was a 67 at Edisto Island.

Newton competed in all 11 events and led the Eagles with a 73.93 scoring average, which ranks 12th in the league. The junior earned her first collegiate win at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate (73-71-72=216 E) and posted three top-5 outings and six top-20 finishes. Her best round was a 70, which she posted three times.

The awards were voted upon by the league's 13 head coaches, while the All-Sun Belt teams were determined by Golfstat national rankings.

The Eagles finished fourth at the Sun Belt Championship in April and are set to return five letterwinners to the 2023-24 roster, including Yerxa and Newton.

2023 Sun Belt Women's Golf Awards
Golfer of the Year: Chantal Dueringer, ULM
Newcomer of the Year: Haley Yerxa, Georgia Southern
Freshman of the Year: Anna Andrysova, ULM
Coach of the Year: Rachel Pollock, ULM

All-Sun Belt First Team
Kendall Turner, James Madison
Chantal Dueringer, ULM
Lucia Gonzalez, Old Dominion
Abby Newton, Georgia Southern
Matilda Svahn, Texas State
Leah Onosato, Old Dominion

All-Sun Belt Second Team
Olivia Schmidt, Arkansas State
Marine Griffaut, Texas State
Momoko Ando, Southern Miss
Anna Andrysova, ULM
Haley Yerxa, Georgia Southern
Alessia Mengoni, ULM