Overshadowed by rookie sensation Vicky Hurst’s win at the Duramed Futures Tour’s Jalapeno Golf Classic on Sunday, was the second-place finish by Ashley Prange.

Prange, 26, a former four-time All-ACC selection at North Carolina, posted solid rounds of 68-68-65–201 to finish at 15 under. Only Hurst, 17, was slightly more impressive with a winning 18-under 198.

For Prange, who spent most of 2007 on the LPGA Tour, but failed to keep her card, the finish was her best since winning twice on the Duramed Futures Tour in 2006.
The result was also a positive step, especially Sunday’s 7-under 65. At one point, Prange made six birdies in an eight-hole stretch and closed to within a stroke after making birdie at No. 13.

"I got focused and in the zone and made the most of each individual shot and didn’t let one shot affect another,” Prange said. “The flatstick was my best friend.

Duke, on the heels of winning its 13th consecutive ACC Women’s Championship, reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Golf World/NGCA Division I Coaches Poll. The Blue Devils received 10 of 23 first-place votes for 659 points. Former No. 1 UCLA garnered 10 first-place votes and 653 points.

Southern California, Arizona State and Florida rounded out the top five. Wake Forest dropped a spot to No. 15, while Virginia, which lost to Duke by a stroke at the ACC Women’s Championship, remained at No. 23. East Carolina, Florida State and North Carolina all received votes, as well.

In the Golf World/Nike Division I Men’s Coaches Poll, Alabama, which won its first SEC Championship in 29 years on Sunday, holds down No. 1. Charlotte is No. 6, Georgia Tech is No. 8, Florida State, which won its first ACC Championship, is No. 9, Duke is No. 13, Clemson is No. 17, and Wake Forest is No. 24. N.C. State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech also received votes.

HADLEY

East Carolina sophomore Abby Bools has been named Conference USA Player of the Year honors as selected by the conference’s head coaches.

Bools was also joined on the C-USA All-Conference first team by teammates Emilie Lind and Amber Littman, who also earned C-USA Freshman of the Year honors. Pirates coach Kevin Williams was named Coach of the Year after leading ECU to wins in six of its seven regular-season tournaments and a second-place finish at the C-USA Championship.

Bools entered the C-USA Championship with a 74.67 stroke average (down from 77.96 in 2007) and captured two wins and four top-five finishes this spring. She was named C-USA Golfer of the Week two times in 2007-08 and was one of three Pirate golfers to record two medalist honors in the same season. She carded a personal-best round of 68 at the Myrtle Beach Classic earlier this year, which was the third-lowest round in school

Wake Forest’s Webb Simpson and Georgia Tech’s Chesson Hadley, both of Raleigh, have been named among the 10 semifinalists for the Ben Hogan Award.

Joining Simpson and Hadley on the list are Jonas Blixt (Florida State), Kevin Chappell (UCLA), Jonas Enander Hedin (Charlotte), Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State), Rory Hie and Jamie Lovemark (Southern California), Joel Sjoholm (Georgia State) and Michael Thompson (Alabama).

The Hogan is presented annually to the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or junior college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the last 12 months.

The Hogan Award finalists will be announced on May 7 and invited to Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Hogan Award presentation on May 18.

Courtney Rousse of Holly Springs and Zach Edmondson of Morrisville finished third and fourth in their respective divisions at the American Junior Golf Association’s Golf World/Medicus Preseason Junior in Greenville, S.C., on Sunday.

Rousse shot 80-83 to finish at 19-over 163 at the 6,012-yard, par-72 Furman University Golf Club. Rousse tied for third, seven shots behind medalist Jennifer Neville of Bradenton, Fla. Meghan Moore of Bahama finished seventh at 21-over 165.

In the boys division, Jake Hedge of Billings, Mont., and Crawford Reeves of Greenville, S.C., shared medalist honors at 2-over 146. Edmondson was fourth at 4-over 148 and was followed locally by Jonathan Hammond (Raleigh, 8th, 152), Harrison Ashworth (Fuquay-Varina, 16th, 156), Reeves Zaytoun (Raleigh, 23rd, 158), Rich Leeper (Chapel Hill, 29th,