Michigan State University Athletics
Trio of Spartans Named to Big Ten Women’s Golfers to Watch List
8/31/2021 11:17:00 AM | Women's Golf
Michigan State's Valery Plata, Leila Raines and Valentina Rossi have all been named to the Big Ten's Women's Golfers to Watch list, it was announced by the conference on Tuesday (Aug. 31). The Spartans, who captured the 2021 Big Ten championship, will begin the new season Sept. 13-14 in Charleston, S.C., at the Cougar Classic.
Plata, a senior, led the Spartans for the second year in a row in 2021 with a 72.26 average, which is the third-best single-season average in program history. She was an All-Big Ten first team selection as well as a WGCA Scholar All-American and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. Plata tied for third at the Big Ten Championship and also claimed the conference's Mary Fossum Award for lowest stroke average to par. She finished the year with six top-10 finishes in 10 events.
Raines posted a 74.56 scoring average in her first year with the Spartans in 2021. The sophomore twice finished in the top five, which included tying for fourth place at the Briar's Creek Invitational. She led the Big Ten Championships after an opening-round 3-under-par 69 and wound up placing 11th at the event. The native of Galena, Ohio was also a WGCA Scholar All-American.
Rossi is coming off an appearance in the semifinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in August. She became the second Spartan is as many years to reach the semifinals of the event, joining Plata, who accomplished the feat in 2020. As a freshman for the Spartans last season, she appeared in eight tournaments and posted a 74.87 scoring average. Rossi placed 14th at the Big Ten Championships.
Plata, a senior, led the Spartans for the second year in a row in 2021 with a 72.26 average, which is the third-best single-season average in program history. She was an All-Big Ten first team selection as well as a WGCA Scholar All-American and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. Plata tied for third at the Big Ten Championship and also claimed the conference's Mary Fossum Award for lowest stroke average to par. She finished the year with six top-10 finishes in 10 events.
Raines posted a 74.56 scoring average in her first year with the Spartans in 2021. The sophomore twice finished in the top five, which included tying for fourth place at the Briar's Creek Invitational. She led the Big Ten Championships after an opening-round 3-under-par 69 and wound up placing 11th at the event. The native of Galena, Ohio was also a WGCA Scholar All-American.
Rossi is coming off an appearance in the semifinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in August. She became the second Spartan is as many years to reach the semifinals of the event, joining Plata, who accomplished the feat in 2020. As a freshman for the Spartans last season, she appeared in eight tournaments and posted a 74.87 scoring average. Rossi placed 14th at the Big Ten Championships.
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