CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. ? The National Golf Coaches Association has released its 2008-09 All-American Scholar awards and among the Division I honorees are five University of Idaho women's golfers.

To be included on the list, a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.50, while also competing in at least 50 percent of her team's contests.

Amanda Jacobs, who just finished her junior year at Idaho, led the way as a repeat honorees. Jacobs, a Business Marketing and Management major, earned the award in 2007-08.

Four Idaho freshmen qualified for the honor in their first year of eligibility. Annika Karlsson, a Business major from Ekero, Sweden, Frida Nilsson, a Food and Nutrition major, also from Sweden, Kayla Mortellaro, a Public Relations major from Phoenix, Ariz., and Teo Poplawski, a Business Marketing major from Lincoln, Vermont, were all honored.

“As a team in 2008-2009, we combined for a 3.780 GPA, which is phenomenal,” Idaho head coach Lisa Johnson said. “I am extremely proud of the team's commitment to excellence both on the course and in the classroom.

“Our many accolades and awards are a result of our team's strong work ethic, positive attitude and Vandal pride.”

The academic honors cap off a terrific 2008-09 season for the Vandal women. The very young Vandal squad rallied on the final day of the Western Athletic Conference Championships to finish second, while Mortellaro earned first-team all-WAC and WAC Freshman of the Year honors. Poplawski was the seventh-place finisher, while Nilsson tied for 13th, Jacobs was 16th and Karlsson came in at 28th.

In addition to their athletic success, the women's golf team also put up some impressive academic numbers. Women's golf led all Idaho teams with a 3.9 team GPA in the fall semester, then led again in the spring with a 3.66 team GPA. All five eligible golfers also earned the WAC All-Academic honor at the end of the season.