TOP USA STUDENT CARTA IS BOUND FOR CAMBRIDGE IN OCTOBER

Aug. 1, 2019

NEWS RELEASE FROM DUKE UNIVERSITY

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

Awarded for her on and off-course
accomplishments, Duke women’s golf recent graduate Virginia Elena Carta has been selected one of 21 female student-athletes to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

The recent ACC nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year has distinguished herself in academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership. She will receive a $10,000 scholarship to be used for postgraduate study. 

Carta, pictured, will be attending the University of Cambridge in England, starting in October.  She will spend 10 months earning a master’s degree in environmental policy with a focus on sustainable development and small-scale farming.

Earning the 2016 NCAA Women’s Golf Individual title in her freshman campaign, the four-time All-ACC selection capped her Blue Devil legacy with the 2019 NCAA Team championship in May, helping lead the Blue Devils to their seventh NCAA title in school history. She is one of only four Duke golfers to win both an NCAA team and individual title. She finished her Duke career with 43 rounds of even or under par, including 15 rounds in the 60s.

Carta’s success outside of the course are perhaps even more impressive. She spearheaded the creation of the Birdies for Babies program at Duke in her junior season to help raise money for the Duke Children’s Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units. After the initial two years of the program, it has raised $36,822.75 to help the children.

A native of Udine, Italy, Carta was recently selected a Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America and Honorable Mention All-America by both Golfweek and the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). A four-time women’s golf All-ACC Academic Team member and 2019 ACC Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Carta also earned four WGCA All-America Scholar accolades over her Duke career.

The scholarships are granted to student-athletes that excel both academically and athletically while also serving as leaders in the community.

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