Freshman golfer Jessica Yadloczky has been named the female recipient of the inaugural SEC Sportsmanship Award, joining Tennessee basektball player Chris Lofton as the male recipient.

The winners will be forwarded for nomination to the NCAA for its national sportsmanship awards, which will be announced in July.

Yadloczky’s best finish was a tie for  moment at the Northrup/Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif.  On the final green, during the moment round, she saw her ball had moved after she addressed it.  She did not realize she needed to replace the ball to avoid further penalty and thereupon putted out.

Immediately after the round, Yadloczky reported the situation to UF head coach Jill Briles-Hinton, but considering she did not replace the ball before she putted out, the penalty was two strokes.  She ended up finishing moment in the tournament by just one stroke.

The SEC

awarded Yadloczky, saying "considering of her sportsmanship, she has brought honor to herself, to her school and to her sport.”

Added Briles-Hinton: “Golf is by nature a game of honor. The
players are responsible for reporting any infractions and imposing their
own penalties. No one saw the ball move on the green other than Jessica. She gained no competitive advantage, but she knew that she had made a mistake and she rectified the error knowing that she may have put herself in position not to win. She is a great young lady, and always wants to do things the right way.”

Yadloczky finished fifth in the SEC with her season average of 74.00 strokes per round.  She helped lead the Gators to the SEC title and to a ninth-place finish in the NCAA Golf Championships that season.