The American Conference announced on April 27 that Tiphani Knight has been named Freshman of the Year for the South Florida Bulls women’s golf team. Both Knight and Cherry Marley also earned all-conference honors, according to the conference’s annual postseason awards.
Knight completed her season with an average score of 73.22 per round. She achieved six top-25 finishes and three top-10 finishes during the 2025-26 season. Her best performance was a third-place finish at the Bell Bank “Pay It Forward” Collegiate, where she shot a career-low round of 67 in Round 1. Knight was also recognized as the team’s top performer in four tournaments and recorded a total of 66 birdies and one eagle in her first year.
Marley finished her season with an average score of 73.69, securing six top-25 finishes and four top-10 placements, including winning an individual championship at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational. She led USF as its top finisher in three tournaments this year, making 78 birdies and three eagles overall. Marley posted five rounds in the 60s, including two rounds at or below a score of 68.
AJ Newell serves as head coach for USF women’s golf and is entering her second season leading the program. In her first year as head coach, Newell guided Leonor Medeiros to all-conference honors and led USF to four top-10 tournament finishes during the previous season. Before joining USF, Newell worked as assistant coach at Michigan for three years where she helped guide that program to multiple NCAA Regional appearances, a Big Ten title in 2022, and participation in that year’s NCAA Championship Finals.
The announcement highlights continued growth within South Florida’s women’s golf program under Newell’s leadership.
