MSU sophomore Valery Plata was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Week on Oct. 16, to become the third Spartan to be named the conference’s golfer of the week this fall.
Plata led the Spartans to the team win at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational that prior week, while also capturing medalist honors at the prestigious event. Plata’s
11-under-par 205 (69-68-68) was the second-lowest 54-hole tournament score in MSU program history as she won the event by two shots. Her pair of 4-under-par 68s were the best single-round scores of her career.
Plata and the Spartans (ranked No. 15 as of Oct. 20) held off a field that included No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 9 Arkansas, 2019 national champion Duke and a total of seven teams in the top 20 to win the tournament for the second time in 10 years.
It was MSU’s second consecutive tournament win this fall after taking its own Mary Fossum Invitational victory in September. The Spartans added a third-place finish in the season-opening Glass City Invitational at Toledo.
Plata joins Yurika Tanida (Sept. 18) and Paz Marfa Sans (Sept. 25) as Spartans having been named Big Ten Golfer of the Week this season.
