Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 6 | June 2021

10 Inside Hokie Sports O n May 13, 2013, women’s golf was officially added as Virginia Tech’s 22nd intercollegiate sport. “I believe that adding women’s golf at Virginia Tech is a natural progression in our athletics department,” the late-Jim Weaver, Virginia Tech director of athletics from 1997-2013, said. “Our new women’s golf program will fit nicely into the scope of our other teams and will only enhance the overall unit. Women’s golf in the Atlantic Coast Conference is played at the highest level in the nation, and we aim to have this program among the best in the league in the very near future.” Fast forward nearly eight years to the day (May 12, 2021), and the Hokies found themselves greenside on the 18th hole at the Stanford Golf Course in full celebration mode as the program, in its sixth season of existence, punched a ticket to its first-ever national championship. Emily Mahar, a senior from Brisbane, Australia, holed the final putt and jubilation ensued as her teammates and coaches rushed the green with water bottles in hand and joy-filled hearts, relishing in a feat never done before by the program. “Honestly, it was the most nervous I have ever been as a coach,” head coach Carol Robertson recalled. “We needed this turning point in our program. I knew they could do it, but we still needed it to happen though.” Undoubtedly, there were nerves felt by many during the three-day regional competition, but for the Hokies, their scores during the first two days indicated anything but that notion. Tech, which entered the 18-team Stanford Regional as the No. 4 seed, fired rounds of 282 and 283 to firmly put the Hokies in position to advance to nationals for the first time in program history. In addition to host Stanford, Tech and top-seeded Wake Forest were the only teams under-par through two rounds. Being in contention for a spot to advance is something the Hokies weren’t just hoping for, but a challenge that the team accepted as a top-six favorite in Palo Alto. Unlike in previous regionals where the Hokies were unseeded, being a seeded club somewhat put a target on the Hokies’ backs. Some could even say, the ranking added pressure and a weight of expectation. For golfers like Mahar and Jessica Spicer, they remembered what it felt like to not advance out of the Austin Regional in 2018 and the Norman Regional in 2019. More recently, the Hokies were in position to advance to match play at the 2021 ACC Championship for the first time, but a disappointing start to the final round opened the door for rival Virginia to slide in and snatch the final spot. Perhaps with that outcome fresh in its mind, Tech was determined to leave no doubt in its finish this time around. The team, dressed in Chicago Maroon tops, certainly proved that early on in the final round. Three Hokies—Becca DiNunzio, Keera Foocharoen and Mahar—made the turn at par or better. Down the stretch, DiNunzio bolstered Tech’s chances with her three-birdie stretch on holes 15-17. But it wasn’t until Mahar converted her putt on the 18th that the Hokies were officially on their way to Arizona for the national championship. Seconds after the putt dropped, Mahar was swarmed by her teammates and coaches over the fact that indeed, Tech had advanced. Nerves? Gone. Mission? Accomplished. “I really couldn’t think of a better way to end my time with this team,” Spicer offered. “Having been here in the early years of the program and living through some of the more difficult seasons, it has made it that much sweeter to get to experience this kind of success. Watch out! Tech turn Continued on page 12