DALLAS, Texas - Kansas State senior Christine Boucher was named the Big 12 Conference Women’s Golf Player of the Year in announcement by the league office on Friday.

      The conference also announced that Ashley Knoll of Oklahoma State was named Newcomer of the Year, while Missouri’s Stephanie Cooper was selected Coach of the Year.

      In addition to earning conference Player of the Year honors, Boucher was one of five individuals to be named a member of the 2004 Big 12 Women’s Golf All-Conference First Team.

      A native of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada, Boucher is the first Wildcat to be honored with that title in school history. She has placed in the top 20 in nine of 10 tournaments this season, including the top 5 eight times. Boucher won the Chip-N Club Invitational, the Price’s Give Em Five Challenge and the Texas A&M Mo’Morial. Her fall stroke average was an even 73, while her average on the year is 74.36 over 30 rounds. Boucher shot a season low 213 at the Price’s Give Em Five Challenge, including her low round of the year, a 67 in the third round of that event.

      Boucher is the third Wildcat to earn conference Player of the Year honors in 2003-04, joining senior volleyball player Lauren Goehring and senior basketball player Nicole Ohlde.

      Members of the All-Conference Team include:

First Team:

      Christine Boucher, Kansas State, senior, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada

      Lisa Meldrum, Oklahoma, senior, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

      Denise Knaebel, Missouri, sophomore, Moberly, Mo.

      Janice Olivencia, Texas, senior, Gurabo, Puerto Rico

      Karin Sjodin, Oklahoma State, sophomore, Gothenburg, Sweden

Second Team:

      Maria Ohlsson, Missouri, junior, Vetlanda, Sweden

      Annie Thurman, Oklahoma State, junior, Highland, Utah

      Josefin Svenningsson, Baylor, sophomore, Gislaved, Sweden

      Ashley Knoll, Oklahoma State, freshman, The Woodlands, Texas

      Nicole Melton, Texas A&M, junior, San Antonio, Texas