WINTER PARK, Fla. – Nova Southeastern junior women's golfer Abbey Gittings has been selected as the 2011-12 Sunshine State Conference Female Athlete of the Year, as announced by the conference office Monday morning.

A native of Tamworth, England, Gittings led the Sharks to their fourth consecutive NCAA Division-II Women's Golf Championship. In a season that was expected to be a rebuilding year, NSU placed in the top four in 11 of its 12 tournaments despite playing with just four players this spring. The Sharks won four tournaments, including the Florida Blue SSC Championship and the NCAA Championship.

Individually, Gittings achieved the No. 1 ranking in Division-II women’s golf. She posted a 75.06 stroke average over 33 rounds of play. Gittings collected 10 top-five finishes, including three individual victories. She became the third women's golfer in NSU history to win an individual national title, claiming the 2012 championship by two strokes, despite playing with a back injury. She also took home medalist honors at the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational and the Lady Falcon Invitational.

Given her performance, Gittings was the recipient of a number of accolades this spring. She was named PING/NGCA Division-II Player of the Year and was a First-Team All-America selection. She was also recognized as the SSC Women's Golfer of the Year and an All-SSC First-Team honoree.

Gittings' success on the links also carried into the classroom, where she posted a 3.49 GPA in sports and recreation management, earning her a spot on the Capital One Academic All-America Division-II At-Large Second-Team.

Voting for the SSC Female Athlete of the Year was conducted among the SSC's athletic directors, senior woman administrators, sports information directors and faculty athletics representatives.

Gittings is the second NSU student-athlete to win SSC Female Athlete of the Year honors. Fellow women's golfer Sandra Changkija claimed the award the past two years.