May 5, 2009

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (May 5, 2009) - Sacred Heart freshman Carly Bergin (Binghamton, NY) was named the 2009 Northeast Conference Women's Golf Rookie of the Year while senior Jennifer Tierney (Danbury, CT) and Joanne Martorana (Randolph, NJ) both earned All-NEC honors.

Sacred Heart's Bergin's successful debut season resulted in NEC Women's Golf Rookie of the Year distinction. Bergin, who possesses a 82.10 stroke average per round, captured the first medalist honor of her young career at the Sacred Heart Fall Classic on Oct. 26-27. The newcomer entered the tournament on the heels of a second-place finish at the FDU Invitational and was tied for the lead after a first-round 79, as she followed with the low round of day two, carding a 75 on the par 72, 5,917-yard Great River Golf Club course. At the league event on Apr. 24-26, the Binghamton, NY product tied for 13th by shooting 84-78-80=242, marking the second-best score among newcomers. Bergin, who also took a spot on the NEC Women's Golf All-Conference Second Team, earned a trio of top-10 performances this past season.

Representing the Pioneers on the first team, Tierney came away from the NEC tournament tied for the 10th slot with a 238 (82-80-76). Tierney's performance marked the senior's sixth top-10 outing this season and helped to lower her stroke average to 81.10. The Danbury, CT product Tierney picked up her first top-five finish of 2008-09 at the Rutgers Invitational on Oct. 11 by firing matching rounds of 77 to come home tied for fifth overall. The event featured a field of 91 golfers from 16 institutions, as Tierney bested all league participants from the five NEC schools that competed.

Rounding out the SHU all-conference contingent and joining Bergin as a second team honoree is Martorana. Martorana and her 81.10 stroke average earned a share of fifth place at the NEC championship, garnering all-tournament honors. The Randolph, NJ native carded a pair of 78s and a third-round 76 to total 232 on the par 72, 5,899-yard course in Hershey, PA. As the Pioneers hosted its Fall Classic, Martorana recorded a third-place finish with a score of 158 (76-82) after 36-holes.