Molly Erickson, at the MIAC's in October, was named the league's player of the year on Monday.

Erickson is MIAC's player of the year, Benoit is coach of the year

Mike Ludwig
May 14, 2012

ST. PAUL, Minn. - St. Olaf junior Molly Erickson was named the MIAC's player of the year while Luke Benoit was named the league's coach of the year on Monday afternoon.

Erickson led the Oles to a MIAC title and top-nine national finish. Erickson - the runner-up at last weekend's Division III National Championship by a single stroke - earned her second-straight all-conference honor this season for finishing seventh at the conference meet.

She led the MIAC with a 79.1 stroke average and finished in the top 20 in eight of her nine appearances in 2011-12. She was in the top 10 seven times and top five six times, with one medalist finish and a pair of runner-up efforts.

Benoit, the back-to-back National Golf Coaches Association Midwest Region Coach of the Year, led St. Olaf to its best season in school history. At the MIAC's in October, the team set new league records for 18 holes (309), 36 holes (629) and 54 holes (939) en route to the championship. In nine tournaments, St. Olaf finished fourth or better in every tournament except the NCAA Division III Championships, with four victories and two runner-up finishes. Benoit coached the MIAC Player-of-the-Year and four All-Conference players in 2011-12.

Contact media relations specialist Mike Ludwig at (507) 786-3834 or ludwigm@stolaf.edu.