NEED TO KNOW:
USA South Rookie of the Year: Lila Polakowski
All-USA South First Team: Erin Donovan
All-USA South Second Team: Keegan Goins
All-Sportsmanship Representative: Lila Polakowski

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Lila Polakowski was named the USA South Rookie of the Year while Erin Donovan and Keegan Goins each earned repeat spots on the All-Conference listing, released Thursday afternoon.

All awards, with the exception of the Coach of the Year, are determined by the national rankings as accumulated by Clippd, the official ranking service of the NCAA.. The coach of the year was determined by a vote of the USA South women's golf coaches.

Lila Polakowski, USA South Rookie of the Year

BY THE NUMBERS:
Scoring Average: 83.06 over 17 rounds
In-Season USA South Recognition: 3x Rookie of the Week
Of Note: Polakowski becomes the first Lion since Erin Donovan to take home USA South Rookie of the Year honors. The freshman from Canton, Michigan had a strong spring season, firing a round in the 70's in all four of Piedmont's events. She was awarded USA South Rookie of the Week honors three times this spring, leading all golfers in the league.
 

Erin Donovan All-USA South First Team

BY THE NUMBERS:
Individual Wins: 2 (Transylvania Kickoff Classic; Golfweek October Classic)
National Ranking: 34th
Scoring Average: 75.32 over 19 rounds
Past All-USA South Recognition: 2x USA South Player of the Year (2024, 2025); USA South Conference Champion (2024); USA South Rookie of the Year (2023); 3x All-USA South First Team (2023, 2024, 2025)
In-Season USA South Recognition: USA South Women's Golfer of the Week (10/22/25)
Of Note: Donovan takes home All-USA South First Team honors for the fourth consecutive season, putting an exclamation mark on a historic career with the Lions. She won twice in the fall, opening the season with a victory at the Transylvania Kickoff Classic before beating a nationally-ranked and deep field, winning by one at the Golfweek October Classic. Next week, Donovan will look to capture the USA South Conference Title for the second time in her career.


 


Keegan Goins, All-USA South Second Team

BY THE NUMBERS:
Scoring Average: 79.00 over 19 rounds
Best Round: 71 (-2) in final round of Savannah Invitational (3/10/26)
Of Note: Goins earns All-USA South Second Team honors for the second straight season. The junior from Macon, Georgia continued to improve, running a scoring average in the 70's thanks to great work in the fall and spring seasons. She has carded 10 rounds in the 70's out of 19 played.
 

 

 

2026 USA SOUTH WOMEN'S GOLF SUPERLATIVE AWARDS

Player of the Year	Rookie of the Year	Coach of the Year
Sydney Richards Southern Virginia	Lila Polakowski Piedmont	Katelyn Gilmore Huntingdon

The 2026 USA South Women's Golf All-Conference Team:
  

First Team All-Conference	Second Team All-Conference
Mary Charles Davis, Huntingdon Erin Donovan, Piedmont Yvette Gorden, Huntingdon Sydney Richards, Southern Virginia Briana Willis, Huntingdon	Eva Denten, Methodist Keegan Goins, Piedmont Kirstyn Page, Pfeiffer Cloe Rich, Methodist Jenna Rutledge, Methodist

 

All-Sportsmanship

Lacie Logan, Huntingdon Emma McCoy, LaGrange Lainey Edwards, Meredith Paige Wilkinson, Methodist Morgan Heilig, Pfeiffer Lila Polakowski, Piedmont Halle Western, Southern Virginia Morghan Knight, William Peace