MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama women's golf head coach Marcelo Huarte announced the addition of four players –
Mercedes Aldana (Buenos Aires, Argentina),
Anna Behnsen (Horsens, Denmark),
Katelyn Foster (Mobile, Ala.) and
Katharina Schroll (Vienna, Austria) – to the 2024 recruiting class on Friday.
The class is the first of Huarte's tenure at South Alabama. Of the group, Aldana, Behnsen and Schroll are members of their home country's national teams, while Foster is rated as one of the top amateur players in Alabama.
"This class brings us one step closer to realizing the vision we have for this program," Huarte said. "These players are coming in with accomplished resumes and experience competing on the biggest stages of junior and amateur golf. More importantly, they are excited to join the Jag family and align with our goals and culture. It's an exciting time for our program and we're excited to welcome the new class to Mobile in August."
Mercedes Aldana
5-6 | Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aldana comes to Mobile after being ranked the No. 1 junior in Argentina, where she has been a member of the national team competing in several South American team events, as well as the 2023 Andes cup. Aldana has also represented Argentina in the junior Orange Bowl and IMG Junior World Championships in 2023.
"Mechi is an incredibly accomplished player on the national and international level." Huarte said. "She's a winner and continues to get better every year. Her ability to perform at major events will make her an invaluable asset to our program."
Over this past year, she has recorded seven wins and 21 Top-10 finishes in 25 counting events, and has been ranked as high as 314th in the USGA World Amateur Golf Rankings.
She is the reigning champion of the Argentine Women's Amateur Match Play championships where she defeated Maria Olivero 5/3 at the 36-hole final.
Aldana also captured individual medalist honors at the 2023 Federal Open and the 2023 U18 National Championships. She also won the first date of the 2022 AAG Junior Ranking at Sierra de Ventana Golf Club after firing a 141 (71-70).
Anna Behnsen
5-9 | Horsens, Denmark
Behnsen has represented Denmark in both girls and women's world championship events. She represented Denmark at the World Junior Girls Championship and as part of the European Girls Team Championship in 2021 and 2022, and then was part of the national team at the European Ladies Team Championships in 2023.
"Anna has consistently been one of the best juniors in Denmark over the last few years," Huarte said. "She's represented her country in the most prestigious European and world events. She has had some great finishes at big events and has the ability to shoot low scores. Anna is an exciting player and will make a great impact on our roster."
Behnsen holds six wins in Danish National events since 2021. The Horsens, Demark, native has been ranked as high as 827th in the USGA World Amateur Golf Rankings and is currently ranked 110th in the European Golf Rankings. Last year, she captured a pair of wins and recorded 14 Top 10 finishes in 30 counting events.
Behnsen won the 2022 PING Masters and then placed second in her next outing at the Dormy Elite Tour 1 Damer & Piger in her next event.
Behnsen is a two-time winner (2023 and 2021) at the Lyngbygaard Junior/Ynglinge Open held at the Lungbygaard Golf Klub, firing with a two-under 142 (72-70) in her most recent title appearance.
During the 2022 season, she won both the Danish Golf Union Elite Tour II Ladies Championship and the DGU Elite Tour I Girls Championship.
Behnsen fired a second-round 69 at the Wilbore Cup held at Helsinger Golf Club in Denmark, and was third at the DM Hulspil (Danish National Match Play Championship) held at Aalborg Golf Klub.
Katelyn Foster
5-3 | Mobile, Ala. | Baker High School
Foster has lettered in golf at Baker High School since 2019 where she became one of the top amateur golfers in the state. During her time with the Hornets, Foster placed third at the 2023 7A State Championships, while earning three county titles and the 7A Substate Low Medalist honors in 2023.
"Katelyn's success in the classroom and on the golf course is a testament to her character," Huarte said. "Throughout the recruiting process, it was evident that she was the right fit for our program. Katelyn has had a lot of success in the state of Alabama and I am excited to see her develop and succeed at the collegiate level."
Foster was also selected to represent the South team at the North-South All-Star event, and set several program records at Baker: lowest 18-hole score (69, at Gulf Shores Golf Club, 3/6/23); lowest; lowest season averages (9 holes: 37, and 18 holes, 74), and most rounds under par for a career (7).
She became the first female player at Baker to reach the State Finals, doing so twice (2023 and '21), and over the course of her career, she is averaging 75.1 strokes per round and has captured 22 first-place finishes.
Foster received third-team junior girls all-state honors from the Alabama Golf Association (AGA) and AlabamaGolf.org. She is ranked eighth in the Junior Girls Rankings of the AGA and No. 74 nationally in the 2022-23 PGA Girls High School Golf National Player Rankings.
The Mobile, Ala., native carded a three-under 141 (70-71) at the 2023 state tournament, where she recorded eight birdies over the two-day event. She also finished seventh at the 2021 7A AHSAA state tournament
Last year, Foster won the Jimmy Green Golf Tour's Senior Bowl Winter Classic and recorded top 10 finishes at Kiva Dunes and Wynlakes. She earned a place in the quarterfinals at the Alabama Women's State Amateur and placed 10th at the Alabama Girls State Junior, as well as garnering a top-20 finish at the Alabama Women's Stroke Play.
Teaming with Tori Waters, the duo placed third with a two round 144 (69-75) at the 15th Alabama Women's State Four-Ball Championship held at Magnolia Grove (7/20-21/22).
Foster was named 2020 Player of the Year (Ages 12-14) as she placed in the top 10 at seven events, recording three third-place finishes and medalist honors at the Grand National Junior Classic (1/8-9/20).
Katharina Schroll
5-8 | Vienna, Austria
Schroll, the fourth addition to the class, is ranked 276th in European Golf Rankings with an average of 73.81 strokes per round after picking up a win and eight Top-10 finishes in 13 events in 2023.
"Katharina is a very talented player and exhibits all of the qualities we look for in recruits," Huarte said. "She has the discipline and work ethic necessary to be a great player. Kathi's game is really starting to take off with recent success at major events and is becoming an elite player. Her best golf is still ahead of her and we are excited to welcome her to the family."
The 5-foot-8 golfer, has been a member of the Austrian National Team since 2021 and represented her home country at four different events over the last two years, competing at the 2022 and 2023 European Girls Team Championships, as well as the 2023 World Junior Girls Championship and the 2022 R&A Junior Open.
Earlier this summer, Schroll won the Austrian Girls U18 Stroke Play Championship (7/21/23) held at the Colony Club Gutenhof (West) as she carded a 232 (83-73-76). She also won the 2023 Czech Girls Junior Amateur Championship, while placing inside the Top 10 at the International Austrian AM Championship (seventh) and the French International Ladies Championship (ninth) with scores of 72-68-68.
Her best three-round total (208) came at the International French Lady Stroke Play (Trophée Cécile De Rothschild) (9/15/23) where she fired back-to-back four-under par rounds of 68 over the final two rounds of the event after opening the tournament with an even-par 72.
She also won multiple Austrian Girls Championships growing up: U14 (2019), U12 (2018 and '17) and U10 (2016).
Schroll, who began playing golf at the age of seven, also competed in track & field for seven years.
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