Charlotte Simpson ’17 wasn’t nervous as she entered the second day of the IAAM “A” Conference Golf Championship at Fox Hollow Golf Course in Timonium. She was in a strong position, coming off the first day with a 37, three strokes ahead of her nearest competitor, Roland Park Country School’s Mia Henry. Simpson’s teammates – Mayalen Brock ’18, Isabel Pantle ’19 and Rachel Lee ’20 – had done their work as well, contributing to a team total of 78 for the first day, four strokes up on second place RPCS.

 

Still, Simpson said in an interview later, “I [know] that Mia is a great player, so I needed to be consistent. I tried to be steady and solid, and that’s what I did. At the end, I just wanted to avoid putting up a big number.”

 

At the end of the second day of championships, the team’s hard work, consistency and positive attitude paid off as they captured Bryn Mawr’s first-ever IAAM “A” Conference championship title in golf. Simpson was also the overall tournament champion, finishing with an impressive 73 – eight strokes ahead of her nearest competitor. Brock finished with a 90 to take third place.

 

Simpson wasn’t the only one that came ready to play on the second day of the tournament. The non-competing members of the team – Sereena Knight ’20, Lilly Graul ’20, Astri Doub ’20, Gabriella Liu ’18 and MaryKatherine Weigman ’20 – went all out, making signs and following the players around the course in decked-out golf carts. As Head Coach March Pio Roda Klein ’86 noted later, it can be difficult in an individual sport like golf to maintain a team atmosphere, but the enthusiasm the rest of the team contributed made a significant impact.

This close team connection was a theme throughout the season. “My favorite part of the season was watching the matches,” Klein says. “We had so many matches this year that were won on the last hole of the last match. The whole team would gather together and link arms to show support for the two team members still playing. It was an awesome bonding experience.”

 

The championship victories were the perfect end to a successful season, which the team finished with an 8-2 record. “A huge factor [in their success] was their positive attitude,” says Klein. “With so many rookies to the game of golf, it's easy to be held back by all of the swing mechanics, rules and etiquette everyone has to learn just to become a golfer. This group of ninth graders rose to the occasion with a lot of help from their upperclassmen, especially from their captain, Charlotte Simpson.”

 

Simpson will continue her golf career next year in college, playing for Carnegie Mellon. The future is also bright for her teammates. With only one graduating senior, Assistant Coach Frank Ecker says the team is primed to ride this momentum into their next season.

 

“We’re looking forward to having Mayalen take the lead, and I know that our younger players are talking to each other and planning to gain more experience over the summer,” Ecker says. “That, together with the mentality from this year, sets us up for a strong season next year.”