Alison Takamiya ends her time in Newberg as one of the most decorated golfers in Division III history after earning the fourth Division III PING WGCA Player of the Year nod in program history. (Submitted by Gabe Foster/George Fox University)

The Women’s Golf Coaches Association announced its annual awards for the 2024-25 season, with Alison Takamiya once again picking up more hardware.

Takamiya, who rounded out her Bruin career with a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships to help the George Fox women’s golf team finish fourth overall, ends her time in Newberg as one of the most decorated golfers in not just GFU history, but Division III history after earning the fourth Division III PING WGCA Player of the Year nod in program history.

The native of Honolulu was a five-time First Team All-American who was the 2024 NCAA Division III Individual National Champion, a member of the 2023 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Champion Team, 2024 Division III PING WGCA Player of the Year, 2024 D-III Inkster Award Winner, 2024 DIII Honda Athlete of the Year Award Finalist, 2024 Ad Rutschman Small College Female Athlete of the Year, 2024 LPGA Portland Classic sponsor’s exemption, 2022 US Women’s Amateur qualifier winner, and 2022 Division III Women’s Golf National Runner-Up. She is a four-time WGCA Academic All-American Scholar and a four-time Northwest Conference Scholar Athlete.

“It truly is an honor to be recognized for this award,” Takamiya said, “and I am very grateful to have been selected as this year’s player of the year! I wouldn’t be in this position if it weren’t for all the love from my team, Coaches MJ and Rick, friends, family and all the wonderful people who support our program. To compete is a privilege that I will always cherish and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have been part of something so special for the last five years.”

In 2024-25, Takamiya was a force to be reckoned with — in the 10 events she competed in, the fifth-year senior recorded five wins, eight top threes, and a 70.6 scoring average. She swept all three Northwest Conference events en route to her record fourth NWC Player of the Year honor.

“What Alison has accomplished in her five years at George Fox is truly remarkable,” Bruin head coach MaryJo McCloskey said. “Winning back-to-back National Player of the Year honors is an incredible achievement, and she earned it through hard work, grit, commitment and a constant drive to learn and grow. Alison has clearly proven her talent as a player — but what stands out even more is her selflessness, humility and the care she shows for those around her. She’s a true team player and an even better person, and that’s what I love most about her.”

The criteria for award includes rankings, head-to-head competitions, wins and stroke average versus par.

With her award, she becomes the first George Fox athlete to be named Division III PING WGCA Player of the Year twice. In fact, it’s the first time in 17 year that a women’s golfer has won the award in back-to-back seasons; Franklin’s Katie Tewell (2007-08) and Methodist’s Tracey Gage (1998-99) and Jennifer Cieslack (1996-97) are the only other players to accomplish that feat.

Takamiya, Kelsey (Morrison) Smith (2013), and Sydney Maluenda (2015) are the three GFU women’s golfers to have captured the award. The four Player of the Year honors are the second-most in Division III history and most in the past 15 years.