CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Crystal Wang has been named a Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) First Team All-American, the organization announced today.
Wang becomes the program’s first student-athlete to earn All-American honors since Renee Slone (formerly Heiken) also earned first-team honors in 1993.
The Diamond Bar, Calif., native put together one of the most historic seasons in program history, becoming the first Illini Big Ten medalist, also since Slone in 1993, by firing a final round 62 (-9), the lowest round at a conference championship tournament in NCAA history, at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh. She won the individual title by 12 strokes and was the only player to finish under par, leading Illinois to its first Big Ten Championship in program history.
She was also named the Mary Fossum Award winner, posting the lowest stroke average relative to par (-1.45) for the season among Big Ten golfers. Wang also became first Illinois golfer to be named Big Ten Golfer of the Year since Slone won the award in 1993.
Wang also earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for the second-straight year and for the third time overall in her career. She has finished in the Top 10 in eight off 12 tournaments this season, including six Top 5 finishes.
Wang set a new program-record single-season scoring average of 70.42, shattering the previous mark by nearly two strokes (Grace Park, 72.16, 2017-18). She shot par or better in 25 of 36 rounds this season. Wang’s performances this season also helped her set the program record for lowest-career stroke average at 72.37.
The now Illinois alumna also participated in the August National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) for the second-straight year and made the cut for the final round played at Augusta National. Wang finished tied for 14th in the event and vaulted into the Top 100 in the PGA Women’s Amateur rankings for the first time in her career.
Wang will be back in action on June 8 as she competes for Team USA at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup, hosted at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pa.