By Owen Kitzan – Sports Editor

After an impressive year for the women’s golf team that saw them qualify for nationals for the first time in team history after a second place finish in RSEQ. Avery Mack and Macy Louvet-Maik both played significant roles in helping the team reach new heights this past season, with Avery winning an individual bronze medal for her performances as well as a first-team RSEQ all-star. 

When asked what BU golf meant to them it was clear it was something they were highly passionate about. “I’ve been playing golf since I was six and competing since I was eleven”, said Avery, “but golf, until coming to BU, had always been an individual sport. Being a part of the Bishops golf team means a lot to me because I play each tournament for more than myself which keeps me motivated”. Macy shared similar thoughts saying, “Being a part of BU golf means a lot to me because it has given me the opportunity to play my favorite sport in a successful and encouraging environment. Being on the team has taught me a lot about determination and believing in myself and my teammates”. She also mentioned team chemistry being high stating, 

As far as the biggest moment of the year it was clear qualifying for nationals was the one that took precedence.  Macy and Avery made it clear how much the win meant not only for them, but also the team with Macy saying, “The biggest moment for BU golf was for me was when the women’s team made nationals for the first time in program history. We had been working so hard all season to achieve our goal of qualifying for nationals, going into the last round of the tournament we knew we had a huge lead, but the nerves were still there because who knows what could happen”. 

Avery shared a similar sentiment, sharing, “It was the first time in program history that a gaiters women’s golf team made nationals and the feeling of being a part of that was so exciting for all of us. Especially after working so hard all season to accomplish that goal”.

Avery spoke on the progress of the team in recent years, “In the last few years I think it really has been commitment, leadership and recruitment that have driven the success we’ve had”. She also added, “When I first came on, making nationals was a pipe dream, but over the years we have slowly worked towards this goal and this year we were able to pull it off”. Macy built upon this explaining some of the inner workings of how they improve their game. “Since I started on the team three years ago we have come so far and created a solid and dedicated program. We now have a swing coach, Brendan Smith, who has helped structure all of our practices and schedules which has been extremely helpful when it comes to keeping us motivated and continuously improving”. She also expanded on coaching being a factor telling us, “Ryan Smith and Marty Rourke have been reasons for our success as well, having coaches who are just as passionate about the game as the players and who believe in us no matter what has pushed us to reach to the goals we have set for ourselves”.

“Our goal is to keep exceeding expectations and to keep goal setting. As of right now we are working towards nationals in the spring which we are very excited about” said Avery. Another goal she set was clear, “After that we aim to make nationals again and hopefully in the coming years win the RSEQ title as our men’s team did last year!” Macy shared her strong belief in the importance of recruiting in coming years stating, “The goal for the future of BU golf is to continue growing the program by recruiting new talent from across Canada and growing off the success of the past few years. She also agreed with Avery on beating expectations, “We want to continue to beat expectations and ultimately have two winning teams in the RSEQ, we have the talent and hope to do so and hope the team continues to prosper from our success in the future”.

It will be exciting to see what’s in store for the future of women’s golf at Bishops.