ST. LOUIS -- Following their standout performances at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and all season long plus their hard work in the classroom, senior Thilda Staubo and junior Sierra Hargens have each earned a spot on the MVC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete First Team as announced today (May 2) by the league office. The MVC Women's Golf Scholar Athlete Team was selected by the conference's communications representatives.

It is the second such honor for Staubo, who holds a 3.44 GPA in Exercise Science. She finished just one shot out of a tie for the MVC Individual Championship at Sand Creek Golf Course in Chesterton, Ind. She was named the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golfer of the Year following a third place finish at the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship and a season-long stroke average of 77.8. Staubo won the Saluki Invitational as she tied a career-low with a round of 70 and followed that with a 74 as he total of 144 won the event by eight shots.

She recorded a career-best 54-hole tournament finish in at the MVC Championship and was in the lead or tied for the majority of the final two rounds. Staubo posted a final round of 75 -- a trek around the course that featured five birdies -- which followed scores of 73 and 73 on Monday for a total of 221 and a third place finish in the individual race. For her efforts, she was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Team and took home the extreme honor of being named the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golfer Of The Year. Twice she was named MVC Women's Golfer of the Week.

Hargens, who carries a 3.84 GPA in Mechanical Engineering, finished the season with a 77.9 strokes per round average and enjoyed a pair of low rounds on the year of 71. She recorded those two rounds in the season opener at Youngstown State and again later in the fall at Ball State. At the MVC Championship, Hargens tallied rounds of 77, 73 and 79 for a total of 229 and a tie for 12th place. She had a pair of birdies on the final day. Her total of 229 ties with her performance last year for her best ever at the MVC Championship and her tie for 12th place is her best showing in three years of playing in the league championship.

Joining Staubo and Hargens on the MVC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete Team were Hannah Bermel (UNI), Elayna Bowser (Loyola), Sydney Eaton (UNI), Erica Kerr (Southern Illinois), Taylor Ledwein (Bradley), Frankie Saban (Bradley) and Caitlin Sims (Illinois State). 

The criteria for the MVC scholar-athlete team parallels the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for academic Academic All-America® program. Nominees must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale), while the student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institutions and must have participated in at least 50 percent of her team's rounds or played at the MVC Championship.