Hokies continue growth pattern in abbreviated seasonHokies continue growth pattern in abbreviated season
Women's Golf

Hokies continue growth pattern in abbreviated season

The 2019-20 athletics season ended abruptly, suddenly, and in many ways, tragically. The immediate future is unsure, and the final answers are not known to most, if not all, of the many questions. But one thing is certain. The future of the Virginia Tech women's golf program continues to shine.
 
In this incomplete season, the Hokies had many highlights and were poised to create many more memories. As has been written at the end of every season since the team's inception less than a decade ago, the team made steady progress, and Tech women's golf fans look forward to next season.
 
Team Highlights
 
The season featured many highlights and notable accomplishments. This October, the team earned its first title in school history by winning the Princess Anne Invitational in Virginia Beach.




 
Emily Mahar won the individual title at the Princess Anne Invitational, which led her to earn ACC Player of the Month. She became the third Hokie to win an individual title in just five (actually, a little more than four and a half) years of on-course competition.




 
Two Virginia Tech freshmen received big honors this past fall. Alyssa Montgomery was named a Rolex All American, and Becca DiNunzio was named the VSGA's Junior Girls Player of the Year for 2019. Both played in every event this season, and the future for these two young women is truly promising.
 
Season Review
 
For the second consecutive season, the Hokies opened at the Minnesota Invitational. Tech tied for third and Mahar tied for 11th overall. After the victory at the Princess Anne Invitational, Tech tied for seventh at The Landfall Tradition, and Jessica Spicer led the way, tying for sixth place and carding three rounds of par or better.
 
The Hokies headed "South of the Border" to complete the fall season. Tech finished fifth at the Battle at the Beach in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Mahar tied for seventh and Montgomery tied for 11th to lead the Hokies against a field featuring teams that annually compete at the NCAA regionals.
 
Individually, Mahar competed in a couple of international events for her native Australia. Most notably, she came in 22nd at the Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship in Texas in November.
 
To open the spring, the Hokies finished third at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. The event, hosted by Purdue, annually attracts one of the top fields in collegiate golf. Montgomery posted the best finish of her young career, tying for third overall by carding three rounds of par for better. Tech followed that at the Icon Invitational, where Mahar led the Hokies, tying for ninth place.
 
Spicer had her best career showing in what turned out to be the season's final event – the Gators Invitational in Gainesville, Florida. She finished tied for third for her highest career finish and helped her team to a second-place finish in the event. 
 
Spring Signing
 
In the spring, the Hokies added a new player for the 2020-21 season. Beatriz Mosquera Qunitas announced she would transfer into the program following two years at Radford University. She will have two seasons of eligibility with the Hokies.




 
Off-the-Course Accolades
 
During the fall season, the Hokies earned their highest Golfstat.com ranking of No. 20 nationally. At the unexpected end of the spring season in March, they were ranked No. 26 in Golfstat and No. 23 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. These numbers speak to the progress this program and this year's team, in particular.



 
Off the course, the Hokies achieved at an outstanding level. As has become the norm, this program proves that academics and community involvement are equally important. The women's golf team registered a 3.58 cumulative grade-point average in the fall semester, tied for the highest of any team at Tech. 




 
Virginia Tech women's golfer Sarah Spicer was announced as winner of the 2020 Skelton Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics on April 7. Her academic successes, along with her success on the field and in the community, led to receiving the award – the highest designation handed out by the Tech athletics department. The Skelton Award is named after Dr. Bill and Peggy Skelton. 




 
Sarah, a redshirt junior from Bahama, North Carolina, is currently is pursuing a degree in economics, with a minor in statistics. She becomes the second Virginia Tech women's golfer to win the award in the program's fifth season of competition. Elizabeth Bose won the award in 2017.
 
Jessica Spicer was named the 2019 Virginia Tech Female Athlete of the Year. Spicer, the twin sister of Skelton Award winner Sarah Spicer, is a double major in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience and psychology. In 2019, she was named to the Women's College Golf Association All-American Scholar team, All-ACC Academic Women's Golf Team and a member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Also, both Spicers and redshirt freshman Nora Wrenger were honored for achieving perfect 4.0 PGAs in calendar 2019.





In the community, the players were active in multiple charitable activities, particularly during the holidays. Working to help under-advantaged families both locally and across the globe is an important piece of the puzzle for this team. Even during the pandemic, members of the Virginia Tech women's golf team remained active, helping at a local food pantry.
 
This year started with a dedication to honor the memory of Sarah Joy Mitchell, the first female of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets to give her life in the service of this country. The team does this by awarding a golf bag embroidered with Sarah's name to a worthy recipient to carry in each tournament. Sarah Joy Mitchell's memory has brought perspective, leadership, and a higher purpose to Virginia Tech women's golf. This honor gained a little more importance when Mahar won the Princess Anne Invitational in October, while carrying the bag of honor.
 
Season Summary
 
In theory, people can spend some time considering "what could have been" for this abbreviated season. The team likely would have made its third consecutive NCAA regional appearance. Individuals likely would have shown continued improvement and positioned themselves for accolades and more accomplishments.
 
But since fans will never know, that time is likely better used to acknowledge what was accomplished and what was known. The trajectory of this program, both on and off the course, continues to be astonishingly high. 
 
Take a second to reflect that, on May 13, 2013, the athletics department announced the formation of this program. On July 8 of that same year, Carol Robertson was hired as head coach. August 28, 2014 marked the first practice, and on Sept. 20, 2015, the team began played in its first ever competition. 
 
A lot of positive things have happened in a relatively short time, and chances are, a lot more will happen in the near future. Stay tuned, it's likely to be interesting.