UVA Women's Golf

The UVA women's golf team will welcome four first-years to the program this season. In less than a week, these talented and bright young women will grace the university grounds as full-time students and will officially begin practicing and playing with the team. As far as golf goes all four girls are astonishingly accomplished, but off the course they are about as unique as you could possibly imagine. From different home states to varied interests and hobbies, each young lady has something special to offer the already diverse Virginia team.

Hailing all the way from Chandler, A.Z., Morgan Gonzales settled on the University of Virginia not only for a much needed change of landscape, but also because she sensed something indescribably magical about Charlottesville the second she stepped on grounds. In addition to the incredible coaching staff of the women’s team, Morgan says she committed to play at UVA because it is the perfect balance of both challenging athletics and academics. In preparation for her first year, she is considering a wide variety of academic pathways including business, finance and biology. In Morgan’s spare time, she fancies herself quite the artist. Many of her original works hang matted and framed on the walls of her family home. Outside the scholastic arena, Morgan has participated and excelled in sports across the board due to her rare hyper mobility. She proudly mentions that she has an extreme advantage in both swimming and gymnastics due to the extended range of motion in her elbow, but adds that there is something special about golf that she just can’t shake. She loves the intense focus it requires and, ever since an elbow fracture at the age of eight stifled her gymnastics career, she hasn’t thought about leaving the game for a second. Having traveled to both China and Scotland, Morgan’s young mind is deeply intrigued by the concept of cultural diversity. She dreams of taking her travels to the next level by visiting Croatia and the turquoise blue waters of the Adriatic in order to tap into her own family history.

Anna Reading, heading our way from the nearby state of North Carolina, experienced the same magical sensation as Morgan the moment she stepped onto grounds. She remembers hearing about the 'Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls' dress code that UVA students abide by for home football games during one of her unofficial visits. Indulging in the UVA lifestyle, Anna's mom bought her a beautiful sundress and pearls to match, both of which she wore to the game. Anna fondly recalls that as she passed through the gates of Scott Stadium she felt as if she naturally belonged amongst the student body. Despite her mother's generosity that day, the Concord native is far from being spoiled. In fact, her altruism is spectacular to say the very least. She admits that her biggest accomplishment to date is the project she singlehandedly conducted during her senior year called Birdies for Babies. Through the project, Anna raised just shy of $23,000 by making 65 birdies and three eagles during her fall golf season. The funds she collected afforded the Tenwek Hospital in Kenya the ability to purchase a neonatal incubator, an instrument that has the capacity to save 60 babies every year. When she isn't diving headfirst into volunteer projects, Anna enjoys the serenity of the great outdoors, participating in activities from canoeing to hiking to fly-fishing and more. Although Anna proudly describes herself as an athlete, it is safe to say there is more to this Carolina girl than just long drives and one-putts.

Out of Houston, Texas, Katharine Patrick is not the big haired, country girl you might expect her to be. In fact, there is so much more to this young lady than her endearing southern charm. Having attended a performing and visual arts high school, Katharine maintains the secret ability to play the classical piano. With the assistance of 13 years of training, Katharine recently performed a 40-minute recital by memory, an endeavor that she ranks amongst the most significant accomplishments of her life to date. Despite her musical talent, Katharine transitions with ease from the concert hall to the baseball diamond where she participates in America’s pastime, preferably alongside the boys. Never having played golf on an organized team, Katharine anxiously awaits the first day of UVA team practice. Although 14 new teammates will be a lot to handle, Katharine’s excitement for team camaraderie is boundless. She hopes that in down time the girls might even indulge in their inner child and join her for a few episodes of her favorite guilty pleasure TV show: SpongeBob.

Rounding out this year’s class of first years is Rachel Corry of Ridgefield, Connecticut. This Northeasterner boasts an adrenaline-seeking, upbeat personality that never fails to impress. Not one to turn down an adventure, Rachel reminisces on her two most memorable trips. In Scottsdale, Arizona she rode ATVs and stargazed in the desert and in St. Thomas she snorkeled amongst the largest coral reefs in the world and sailed to remote islands. She asserts that her next thrill-seeking voyage will be to either Figi for scuba and skydiving or to Aspen for skiing, snowboarding and heli-skiing. Although adventure pervades her mind 24/7, Rachel is no stranger to the simpler things in life. She has independently cooked her family's entire Thanksgiving meal for the past three years and feels no greater happiness than when she is in the presence of her closest friends. Graced with the gift of math, Rachel has her sights set on pursuing a major in Accounting, in which case she will be the easiest-to-spot student in the room. Just listen for the giggles of a girl full of life and you will surely spot this multi-faceted young woman.

The UVA women’s golf team is thrilled to welcome Morgan, Anna, Katharine, and Rachel for the 2015-16 season. We are confident that these four young ladies will not only help us reach our loftiest golf goals, but will also add color, flair and life to our already fantastically diverse team.