TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Two things are a certainty when you become a member of the Florida State Women’s Golf program.
First, you’ll compete for the ACC and NCAA Championships. Under Head Coach Amy Bond, the Seminoles have advanced to the finals of match play at the ACC Championships in each of the last two seasons, and also played in the NCAA Regional Championships in each of 13 years. The Seminoles are also one of only four teams in the nation that have played in each of the last six NCAA Championship Finals.
Second, you’ll earn your degree from Florida State University. The Seminoles’ academic success includes a perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) score in each of Bond’s seasons as Florida State’s head coach. The APR is a measure of eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing on every NCAA Division I sports team. Simply put, every player who has competed for four years at Florida State during Bond’s tenure has earned her degree.
Senior Cecilie Finne-Ipsen adds her name to that list of graduates on December 9, 2022 as she earns her BS in Business Management.
For Finne-Ipsen, who transferred to Florida State from UNC Charlotte in the fall of 2021 to complete her playing career and get her degree, graduation day has been a day she dreamed about for a long time.
“My parents have always stressed how important education is,” said Finne-Ipsen who plans to start her career as a professional golfer immediately following graduation. “It shows me that I’m capable of more than just playing golf.”
Finne-Ipsen’s long list of academic honors illustrates the importance of earning her degree while competing at the highest level of collegiate golf.
She’s a three-time WGCA All-American Scholar Team honoree. She’s been named to the Conference USA Academic Honor Roll (three times) and ACC Academic Honor Roll each year of her career. She earned the Conference USA Academic Medal of Honor (three times) at Charlotte, while earning President’s List (perfect 4.0 GPA) and Dean’s List (3.5 GPA or better) honors during her academic career as a Seminole.
“I have a hard time doing something half-heartedly,” said Finne-Ipsen just days prior to Florida State’s graduation ceremony. “If I sign up for something, I can’t help but try to do the best I possibly can. I’ve always considered myself someone who needs to work hard to understand the material, but I also think I’ve gotten to know myself better and figured out how I best learn.”
In addition to earning her degree, Finne-Ipsen also earned success on the golf course as a Seminole.
Finne-Ipsen finished her career ranked in Florida State’s all-time top-20 with a career stroke average of 75.29. She helped Florida State win the team championship at the Barbara Nicklaus Classic in the fall of 2021 and the NCAA Tallahassee Regional Championship during the spring of 2022. She finished in ninth place in the individual standings in leading the Seminoles to the championship at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, and earned four consecutive top-25 finishes during the spring of 2022.
“Graduation is a special time for every student athlete and is celebrated by our university and within our program,” said Bond. “I am extremely proud of Cece for earning her degree. She is a dedicated student with great grades. Her commitment to her academics and athletics makes her the total package.”
Finne-Ipsen, whose two favorite classes at Florida State have been in professional selling and negotiations and conflict management, hopes to utilize her degree in management to build a business around her career as a professional golfer.
It’s hard for Finne-Ipsen to select her favorite academic moment as a student-athlete at Florida State, but she points to what her academic success means to her parents as one of the driving forces of her success.
“I know what is important to my parents is that I get an education and that I do my best with the time I have available,” said Finne-Ipsen. “I know they are proud of what I have achieved, but they would also have been proud if I had gotten all B’s and C’s, as long as I did the best that I could.”
When pressed on her favorite moment, she shared a proud personal achievement.
“I’m always going to remember picking up my honor cord for graduating Summa Cum Laude. Summa Cum Laude – with the highest distinction.”
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