COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2023 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women's Golf All-Academic Teams were announced Wednesday morning with four University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's golf student-athletes named to the Honor Roll:  Mackenzie Fontana (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Rachel Penzenstadler (Centennial, Colo.), Samantha Saile (Barrington, Ill.) and Emily Shimkus (Cave Creek, Ariz.).
 
Elly Walters of Colorado Mesa University was voted the RMAC Women's Golf Academic Player of the Year.  To be eligible for consideration on the RMAC All-Academic First Team, a student-athlete must have been an active student at the institution for at least two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters and carry a cumulative 3.50 grade point average (GPA).  All student-athletes that met those requirements but were not selected for First Team, or have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30, automatically qualified for the Honor Roll. 
 
Mackenzie Fontana closed out her senior season competing in one tournament.  The owner of a 3.335 GPA who is majoring in Business at UCCS, Fontana scored a 244 (83, 81, 80) over three rounds in the season-opening 2022 CCU Swan Memorial on Sept. 12-13, 2022.
 
Sophomore Rachel Penzenstadler competed in all nine tournaments for the Mountain Lions and averaged 85.2 strokes over 22 rounds of competition.  The sophomore posted a 32^nd place finish at the 2023 RMAC Championship Tournament after penciling a 246 across three rounds.  Her lowest three-round tournament score of the season came in the Mountain Lions first tournament in 2022-23 when she tallied a 241 at the CCU Swan Memorial to finish in a tie for 43^rd place.  Penzenstadler, who is studying Exercise Science and has a 3.740 GPA, closed out the fall season with a season low 160 at the Fort Lewis College Nick Turner Invite.
 
Making her second straight appearance on the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll, Samantha Saile (Business, 3.856 GPA) averaged the fifth best scoring average for the Mountain Lions, carding an 83.7 stroke average in 22 rounds.  Her season low 231 at the 2023 RMAC Championship Tournament placed her in a tie for 12^th overall that was highlighted by a 76 in the final round. 
 
A junior majoring in Business with a 3.724 GPA, Emily Shimkus finished the 2022-23 season placing in a tie for third place overall at the RMAC Championship Tournament.  She carded a seven-over par 223 that was highlighted with a 70 in the opening round of the tournament.  Shimkus, who was named to the 2021-22 RMAC All-Academic First Team, competed in every tournament this season and led the Mountain Lions in scoring average with a 77.5 She bested all 55 golfers to open the spring season at the Southwest Minnesota State University Spring Classic after shooting a 147 and earning the RMAC Golfer of the Week for her performance.
 
As a team, the Mountain Lions averaged 322.6 strokes per round this season.  UCCS concluded the 2022-23 season earning a fifth-place finish at the 2023 RMAC Championship Tournament.