Arkansas women's golf program claims conference championship

FAYETTEVILLE - Besides one volleyball SEC Tournament title under former Coach Chris Poole, the University of Arkansas women’s athletic program for SEC team championships has been a one-man show.

It’s been all Coach Lance Harter’s 33 SEC team championships in women’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track and nothing else.

That changed Sunday. The nationally No. 3 women’s golf team of Shauna Taylor won the SEC Championship at the Greystone Country Club in Hoover, Ala. Obviously this championship not only became the first SEC team title for Arkansas’ women’s golf, it made Taylor, promoted from Arkansas assistant to head coach back in the summer of 2007 by former Lady Razorbacks Athletic Director Bev Lewis, the first woman head coaching Arkansas to a SEC championship.

Upon her team winning the title, Taylor stayed all about her team.

“It means everything,” Taylor Sunday told the SEC Network which televised Sunday’s winner take all match between Arkansas and South Carolina. “These girls have worked so hard. They put in the time, the effort and to finally get a conference championship for our golf program, it’s been a long time coming. I couldn’t be prouder of these student-athletes.”

After three rounds of medal play Wednesday through Friday advancing third qualifying into match play behind Alabama and South Carolina, Arkansas on a grueling Saturday beat defending SEC champion, 3-2 and nationally No. 1 Alabama, 3-1-1.

Sunday it took Kaylee Benton’s 1-stroke victory SEC medal champion Ainhoa Olarra, for Arkansas to edge South Carolina.

Olarra on a playoff Friday edged Arkansas’ Maria Fassi for SEC medalist champion.

Fassi won her match over South Carolina’s Anita Uwadia Sunday first establishing Arkansas’ final day momentum.

“She’s been a rock, Taylor said. “She’s been our anchor. She got points when we needed her and she’s been such a great leader. I can’t say enough about her.”

Arkansas’ Dylan Kim’s 2 &1 over Lois Kay Go gave Arkansas its second match play victory over South Carolina Sunday but the Razorbacks’ lost a point with Cara Goriel losing to Marion Veysseyre and also lost a heartbreaker. Alana Uriell tied after 18 and despite a superior playoff hole drive, saw her putt rim out as South Carolina’s Ana Pelaez won the playoff by a stroke shortly before Benton clinched Arkansas’ crown.

As as the Arkansas assistant who helped former Arkansas Coach Kelley Hester, her mentor and fellow University of Georgia alum, recruit and coach LPGA great Stacy Lewis to winning the NCAA title at Arkansas, and then succeeded Hester, Taylor has been a part of some major Arkansas successes including coaching six currently on the pro tour.

However this conference crown seems to top it all.

“It means everything for our team, our university, all the people that help us every day,” Taylor said. “Our families, it’s unbelievable to have such a great group of girls and I knew that we had a special group in the locker room back in August. And now they have come to the golf course and done what’s never been done at the University of Arkansas. Just tremendous.”

Taylor, whose team the previous week finished second at the Liz Murphey Classic in Athens, Ga., was asked Sunday what’s next?

“Sleep,” Taylor replied as the SEC Tournament has been teeing it up not long after sunrise. “These 4 a.m. mornings. We have been playing so much golf. We came straight from Georgia.”

They do get some regrouping and practice time before NCAA Regional qualifying begins May 7 at either Austin, Texas, Madison, Wisc. Tallahassee, Fla. or Palo Alto, Calif.

Qualifying teams at the four regional advance to the Oklahoma State hosted NCAA Women’s Championships May 18-23 in Stillwater, Okla.

(Nate Allen covers the Razorbacks for the News Times.)