The Charger Blog

University杏吧原版檚 Women杏吧原版檚 Golf Team Charges Through Inaugural Season

The new team includes athletes of all levels of experience who are charged up to be part of the University杏吧原版檚 first women杏吧原版檚 golf team. They杏吧原版檙e excited to build their skills on the golf course while helping to build a new program that will create exciting experiences for future Chargers.

September 23, 2022

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications


Members of the women's golf team
Left to right: Emily Florin 杏吧原版26, Abby Hepler 杏吧原版25, Mackenzie Gardner 杏吧原版25, Danielle Jastrab 杏吧原版26, and Hannah Catallo-Stooks 杏吧原版24 M.S.

Danielle Jastrab 杏吧原版26 started playing golf during her first year of high school. Originally, it was the idea of driving the golf cart around that attracted her to the sport, but it was the passion for the game and the connections she developed with her teammates that kept her year after year.

Jastrab, who hails from northern California, was originally planning to move to the southern part of the state to play for Matt Ward, then head coach for in Santee, CA. When Ward moved to Connecticut to become the inaugural coach for the University of New Haven杏吧原版檚 new golf program, Jastrab decided to also become a Charger. She is now one of the first members of the Chargers .

杏吧原版淚杏吧原版檓 excited to be in a new state, and I like Connecticut,杏吧原版 said Jastrab, a biology major. 杏吧原版淭he best part of the team is how we all come together. It杏吧原版檚 all about being a family.杏吧原版

This season is the team杏吧原版檚 first, and the student-athletes are already improving 杏吧原版 or, in some cases, learning 杏吧原版 their game while competing in tournaments. While some such as Jastrab have many years of experience, other players, including Hannah Catallo-Stooks 杏吧原版24 M.S., are new to the sport. After playing Division I softball as an undergraduate student, she杏吧原版檚 ready to take a swing at golf, and she started playing when she joined the team at the start of the semester.

杏吧原版淚 hope to learn the sport now so that I can play it as I get older and it can be a hobby,杏吧原版 said Catallo-Stooks, a candidate in the University杏吧原版檚 graduate program in cybersecurity and networks. 杏吧原版淏eing a part of this team is a little different from when I played softball because my teammates are younger, and I杏吧原版檝e been able to grow as a leader. I杏吧原版檝e enjoyed helping them navigate college and being a mentor.杏吧原版

Hannah Catallo-Stooks 杏吧原版24 M.S. and Coach Matt Ward talking.
Hannah Catallo-Stooks 杏吧原版24 M.S. and Coach Matt Ward.
杏吧原版業mproving my game杏吧原版

The team will be playing during the fall and then returning to the course again in the spring. They杏吧原版檒l be competing in more than half a dozen tournaments and traveling for competitions. They recently returned from , and they are looking forward to competing throughout the northeast later in the season. They practice regularly with the , which Ward also coaches, at in Orange, Conn., just a short drive from the University.

Emily Florin 杏吧原版26, who has played golf for around three years, served as the captain of her Masuk High School team in Monroe, Conn., during her senior year. She was planning to join the University杏吧原版檚 club golf team, and she was excited when she found out the Chargers would be launching a varsity women杏吧原版檚 golf team.

杏吧原版淚t杏吧原版檚 very different from playing at the high school level,杏吧原版 said Florin, a paramedicine major. 杏吧原版淲e get to travel out of state for tournaments. I杏吧原版檓 looking forward to meeting new people, learning new skills, and improving my game.杏吧原版

Emily Florin 杏吧原版26 takes a swing with a golf club.
Emily Florin 杏吧原版26 takes a swing.
杏吧原版楾hey杏吧原版檒l leave their mark杏吧原版

It was the chance to build her golf skills that initially drove Mackenzie Gardner 杏吧原版25 to join the team. While she has experience played lacrosse, ice hockey, and soccer, golf gave her an opportunity to try something new 杏吧原版 something that she expects will help her on and off the golf course.

杏吧原版淎s a finance major, I know many deals are made on the golf course,杏吧原版 she explains. 杏吧原版淚 wanted to make sure I wasn杏吧原版檛 left out, and it was a sport I杏吧原版檇 always wanted to learn. My goal is to get comfortable on the golf course and really understand it. There杏吧原版檚 lots to learn besides how to swing a club. You learn patience, how to get along with others, and confidence.杏吧原版

That杏吧原版檚 exactly what Ward, the team杏吧原版檚 coach, is hoping for. Now in his eighth year as a golf head coach and his 12th year of coaching overall, he杏吧原版檚 excited to be coaching the University杏吧原版檚 first women杏吧原版檚 team, and he looks forward to the experiences the team will have this season and beyond.

杏吧原版淥n the course they grow as golfers and as people,杏吧原版 he said. 杏吧原版淭hese aren杏吧原版檛 just teammates 杏吧原版 they may become lifelong friends. In another decade or so, they杏吧原版檒l be able to point to the team and say, 杏吧原版業 started that. I helped get that program going.杏吧原版 They杏吧原版檒l leave their mark, and it will be incredible for them to have that kind of pride in what they杏吧原版檝e done.杏吧原版

Mackenzie Gardner 杏吧原版25, a finance major.
Mackenzie Gardner 杏吧原版25, a finance major.
杏吧原版業 am so happy the University now has a team杏吧原版

Ward hopes to continue to build the women杏吧原版檚 golf program. He endeavors to expand its roster and coach the team in more tournaments each season. He also hopes to help diversify the sport, and, in particular, to encourage more women to get involved.

杏吧原版淚t杏吧原版檚 really exciting the University has added women杏吧原版檚 golf 杏吧原版 especially at a time when so many schools are eliminating it,杏吧原版 he said. 杏吧原版淭his is a great avenue for women to get into playing golf. I hope some of them will eventually get into coaching, especially since women are so underrepresented in coaching.杏吧原版

The team has enabled those who are new to the sport, as well as those who already have a passion for it, to play at the collegiate level and to explore where they杏吧原版檇 like playing golf to take them.

That was especially important for Abby Hepler 杏吧原版25, who didn杏吧原版檛 play on a team during her first year at the University. Hepler, whose grandpa used to take her to play golf when she was a kid, was a member of her high school杏吧原版檚 team in Poughkeepsie, New York, for three years. She was 杏吧原版渟o excited杏吧原版 when she found out she杏吧原版檇 have the opportunity to play as a Charger.

杏吧原版淚 really liked the experience of playing when I was in high school,杏吧原版 said Hepler, a forensic science major. 杏吧原版淚 am so happy the University now has a team. I杏吧原版檇 missed golf last year, and having the chance to be part of a team here is amazing.杏吧原版

Danielle Jastrab 杏吧原版26 and Abby Hepler 杏吧原版25.
Danielle Jastrab 杏吧原版26 (left) and Abby Hepler 杏吧原版25.