RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – SWOSU freshman Maria Vilella has been named the Great American Conference Women's Golfer of the Week following her runner-up finish at the Newman Invitational on Tuesday.

The honor is the first of Vilella's young career and comes in just her second collegiate tournament. A season ago, SWOSU women's golf collected two weekly awards, both earned by Freya Sala.

At Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas, Vilella played steady across the board, finishing one-under par on both par-3s and par-4s. She carded more pars than any golfer in the field and added five birdies—tied for the third-most overall. She opened with a 71 (-1) in round one before following with an even-par 72 in the final round.

Vilella and the Lady Bulldogs return to action next week at the Grace Shin Invitational in Edmond, hosted by Central Oklahoma.