Trujillo Earns Prestigious Kim Evans Award
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Head UNM women’s golf coach Jill Trujillo has been honored as the recipient of the prestigious 2020 Kim Evans Award, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) announced Monday.
The Kim Evans Award is presented annually “to the college or high school coach, and Class A PGA Professional, whose support of the game through teaching, coaching and involvement in the community has helped ensure the continued growth of the game of golf and represent the finest qualities the game has to offer,” the WGCA said in a release.
Trujillo, who has led the Lobo women’s golf program since 2007 and is recognized as one of the top teaching professionals in the country, has guided UNM to four Mountain West team titles and five Mountain West Individual Tournament Champions. She also earned Mountain West Coach of the Year twice, in 2008 and 2014.
“To have an award with Kim Evans’ name on it is an honor that is above all for me,” said Trujillo. “She embodies courage, strength, humor, dedication and faith. Kim is a coaching legend who has set an example for us all to follow and I am thankful for her commitment to the game of golf.
“I have spent my entire adult life in the PGA of America. I have learned so much from so many and I am truly grateful.”
Trujillo has 11 NCAA Regional and three NCAA National postseason appearances under her belt and has led 46 golfers to WGCA All-American Scholar status. An academic powerhouse, the UNM women’s golf program under Trujillo’s leadership has received the WGCA All-Scholar Team GPA Award three times, which is the honor bestowed upon the college program with the top GPA in the country. Trujillo’s Lobos recently earned the honor in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. In the Spring 2019, Trujillo led the Lobos to a single semester program-record 3.94 GPA. The Lobos broke the record yet again with an outstanding 4.01 semester GPA in Spring 2020, which also broke the record for highest single-semester GPA of any program at UNM.
In addition to her coaching duties, Trujillo makes a significant impact in the community as the Lobos offer a free golf clinic for women every year and have raised thousands of dollars and/or volunteered for local charities such as the Animal Humane, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, Habitat for Humanity, Kids First, Children’s Cancer Fund of New Mexico and Royal Readers. Trujillo has also participated in golf clinics for young adults with intellectual, developmental and cognitive disabilities.
Trujillo graduated from UNM in 1990 and was recently elected into the PGA Quarter Century Club. She was named Sun Country Section PGA Merchandiser of the Year in 1997 and received the Junior Golf Leader Award in 2001. She is a Life Member of the LPGA Professionals and was recognized as the LPGA Central Region Coach of the Year in 2007, 2009 and 2014.