LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Emma Kang and Zoe Newell earned All-Big Sky Honorable Mention honors, the Big Sky announced Sunday on the eve of the Big Sky Conference Championship.
 
Newell is coming off a runner-up performance at the Bobcat Desert Classic in Goodyear, Arizona, with an eight-under finish for the tournament. The best finish by stroke of her career. Her performance led the Vandals to the best performance of the season and a team runner-up finish.
 
Along with her exciting performance to close out the regular season, she also had a top five finish at the Tri State Invitational, including an albatross.
 
Kang finished five under to finish fifth last week, also her best performance by stroke of her career, the performance, along with her win at the Tri-State Invitational. She was consistent all season long.  Only finishing out of the top 30 once, when she withdrew from the PSU Invitational with an illness.
 
Both players earned Second-Team all-Big Sky recognition last season.
 
"Congratulations to Emma Kang and Zoe Newell for being named to the Big Sky All Conference Team," head coach Stephanie Young said. "This is the second year in a row they have been honored. They both have been core contributors to our team and its success this season and it's awesome to see them be honored by the conference for their play!"
 
BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP
The duo leads Idaho into the Big Sky Championship beginning Monday at the Wigwam Resort Blue Course in Litchfield Park, Arizona, in the Phoenix area.
 
The Vandals are coming off the strongest performance of the season with a runner-up finish at the Bobcat Desert Classic, including three Vandals in the top 10. Newell finished runner-up after losing a playoff. Kang finished fourth with a five-under performance and Emma Heyman finished with a five-under 67 in the final round to close one-under for the tournament in ninth place.
 
Newell will play from the top spot for Idaho, with Kang playing at No. 2 and Heyman playing third. Laura Caamano will play in the fourth spot, just three weeks off her fourth-place finish at the Georgia State Invitational. Jenna Bruggeman will play in the fifth spot to close out the line-up. Kaylin Johnson is the alternate for the tournament and can be subbed in before any round.
 
Entering the championship, the Vandals are ranked in the middle of the pack in the Big Sky but look to be playing their best golf at the right time of the year.
The 54-hole tournament will be spread over three days with 18 holes per day. The course will play par 71 at 5,948 yards.
Live scoring will be available via Scoreboard by Clippd.