BEVERLY, Mass. – Recognition flooded in for the first-ever Conference of New England (CNE) Women's Golf Champion, Suffolk, Thursday afternoon. Jay Parker was selected CNE Coach of the Year, while three Rams – Krisna Mahendran, Brooke Bugajewski and Emory Goodson -- played to All-CNE distinction.
To earn the all-league honor, a student-athlete must earn a spot in the top-eight at the conference championship. The accolades are broken down to first-team (1-4) and second-team (5-8) based on finish and can be expanded if/when tied scores come into play.
Parker, meanwhile, was voted the best coach by his peers after leading Suffolk's squad to the conference's first-ever women's golf championship Oct. 11-12 at Keney Park Golf Course in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the second-ever coach of the year distinction for the 10th-year head coach as he was named the inaugural Northeast Women's Golf Conference (NWGC) for the 2023-24 season.
The threesome of Mahendran, Bugajeski and Goodson were pivotal to push the blue-and-gold to the CNE crown, as they finished in the top-6 in the 30-golfer field.
Suffolk is the most decorated women's golf team this season by the CNE as three student-athletes earned an all-conference honor. The University of New England and Nichols each had two student-athletes receive accolades, while Hartford was represented by one golfer.
Last weekend, Mahendran landed in a three-way tie for first following the two-day, 36-hole competition behind a score of 164 (+24). The sophomore from Katy, Texas was edged out by UNE's Abby Flanagan for CNE Player of the Year, individual medalist, following a two-hole playoff.
Bugajewski, a junior captain that calls Bloomfield Hills, Michigan home, was two strokes out of the draw for first to finish fourth for the final spot on the league's first team.
Goodson compiled a 173 to place two spots after Bugajewski in sixth for a spot on the second team.
Bugajewski earned her third all-league distinction second straight second-team selection, while Mahendran took home her second straight all-conference nod in as many years, first first-team nod. Goodson, meanwhile, grabbed an all-league nod for the first time in her collegiate career.
In addition to the awards earned in the Constitution State, the league named the CNE Community Service Team, which acknowledges student-athletes that demonstrate a commitment to their community. Goodson represented the Rams on the squad.
Suffolk's trophy shelf now features 22 awards from conferences across three leagues including two players of the year, one rookie of the year, 11 first-team and nine second-team honors.
On top of the student-athletes recognition, Suffolk women's golf has had a league coach of the year twice, once in the CNE (2025) and once in the NWGC (2023-24), respectively, both of which belong on Parker's resume.
With the fall campaign concluded and a ticket already punched to the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship in Palm Desert, California, Parker will assemble a spring slate that preps his squad for its second-ever national tournament trip. The full 2026 schedule will be released in the New Year.
2025 CNE Women's Golf Postseason Awards
Player of the Year - Abby Flanagan, UNE
Rookie of the Year - Maris Branyan, Hartford
Scholar Athlete of the Year - Katie Baca, Nichols
Coach of the Year - Jay Parker, Suffolk
All-CNE First-Team
Brooke Bugajewski, Suffolk
Abby Flanagan, UNE
Amanda Forziati, UNE
Krisna Mahendran, Suffolk
All-CNE Second-Team
Maris Branyan, Hartford
Isabella Fleury, Nichols
Emory Goodson, Suffolk
Felicia Zander, Nichols
Community Service Team
Elizabeth Parent, Gordon
Tessa Susco, Hartford
Katie Baca, Nichols
Emory Goodson, Suffolk
McKenna Marcoux, RWU
Abby Flanagan, UNE