GoHuskies June 2023

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The UW men’s and women’s rowing teams won the Windermere Cup with victories over Australia in May on Montlake Cut. Both teams are having a great 2023 campaign. For the latest news and results visit GoHuskies.com.

JUNE 2023

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FROM THE DESK OF TRACK AND FIELD HEAD COACHES

MAURICA AND ANDY POWELL — PAC-12 CHAMPS

uskies! I write today as the sun blazes across the purple track and our men’s and women’s teams are erupting with excitement from the best weekend in program history.

Over three days and 21 events of competition, the Husky men’s team claimed our first-ever Pac-12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, snapping a 15-year winning streak by the University of Oregon. And the women’s team rallied to our highest-ever finish in third place.

Both teams delivered incredible performances across all event areas, and we crowned individual conference champions in the 400-meter hurdles, 800-meters, 1,500-meters, steeplechase, 5,000-meters, 10,000-meters, decathlon, and pole vault. Those eight event wins are the most in Husky history.

It was a true demonstration of pride and grit by our student-athletes, and also a fantastic display of how powerful it is to build collective momentum. The camaraderie and spirit of our Husky teams was palpable in the stadium, and taking a raucous victory lap as Pac-12 Champions was an experience our student-athletes will never forget.

As coaches, we are humbled every day by the privilege to guide this extraordinary group of young

men and women as they chase their dreams and enrich their communities here at the University of Washington. We are proud of their will, drive, and fierce competitiveness. Equally so, we are proud of their sincere thankfulness for this university, this athletic department, and one another.

Go Huskies!

Maurica and Andy Powell

Coach Maurica Powell

EQUAL All Things Being

The focus naturally shifts toward athletics, but Title IX goes well beyond the playing fields at the UW and across America

Softball, volleyball, basketball, even crosscountry and rowing. Scroll down the list of women’s athletic programs offered at the University of Washington and nearly all of them were created after the passage of Title IX in 1972.

Across the entire sports spectrum, ranging from five-a-side soccer for 6-year-olds to opportunities at the collegiate, Olympic and professional levels, most conversations about Title IX inevitably shift to athletics.

When Title IX became law on June 23, 1972, athletics were not specifically a part of it. However, because the law forbids discrimination based on sex in “any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance,” athletics are covered because they are considered an integral part of an institution’s education program.

But the landmark legislation, now in its 50th anniversary year, goes way beyond that. Whether someone is still competing, has finished competing — or isn’t an athlete at all — Title IX likely will have some kind of impact in their lives.

It covers numerous aspects of educational settings. That includes things such as equitable access to instruction, especially those focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (commonly referred to as STEM courses). It covers recruitment, admissions, scholarships and other kinds of financial aid, and counseling.

A somewhat common misperception is that Title IX applies only to preventing discrimination against women. In fact, it is applicable to the rights of both women and men, and that all receive fair and equal treatment in all areas of education.

Gender Expression

MARK MOSCHETTI • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

“I think it has been more about ensuring along the way that everything is equitable,” Deputy Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator Erin O’Connell said in an interview with Go Huskies Magazine last summer. “Or when coming across a situation between men and women in the college environment, whether it’s sports or something else, if it isn’t equitable, working on a plan to do that.”

While Title IX was originally conceived to deal with discrimination based on sex, it has since expanded to gender expression, LGBTQIA+ identity, sexual orientation, and pregnant or parenting status.

“If there is a program or course that is being delivered in an inequitable way so people in that environment feel like they can’t equally contribute or are not being treated equally based on sex or gender, then we are the office that would remedy that,” said Kiana Swearingen, Washington’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Education and Prevention.

“We ensure that our academic environment is open to people of all genders and that they feel like they’re able to contribute and belong in those spaces.”

Shining The Light On A Vital Element

Another significant aspect of Title IX — and one that is not often in the spotlight — is policies that relate to sexual assault and harassment on campus. That can include hazing and bullying. And, in a world ever more connected by technology, it can include cyberbullying, as well.

Students, faculty, and staff have options in reporting such incidents, and school employees have obligations to help facilitate such reporting.

At Washington, there is an entire department — the Office of the Title IX Coordinator, led by Valery Richardson — that is the driving force behind efforts in that specific area of the legislation, with a strong focus on education and prevention. It provides information on supporting someone who has experienced sex- and gender-based harassment or violence, or information about prevention education and training. It also is a source for those who are pregnant and looking to find out about support and protections that are available.

There are links for all of it.

Continued on page 8

Harassment

Parenting

While Title IX was originally conceived to deal with discrimination based on sex, it has since expanded to gender expression, LGBTQIA+ identity, sexual orientation, and pregnant or parenting status.

LGBTQIA+ identity

“We have different strategies for different populations at the University of Washington,” Swearingen said. “Different folks need information delivered in different ways, and they need to be motivated in different ways.”

One of the key resources available is called Husky Prevention and Response. It is an online course geared toward employees and students, and their roles in recognizing sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, and how to respond accordingly.

The course, which Washington students are required to complete, was the product of teamwork between faculty, staff, students, and other academic personnel.

“I’ve been at the university for a little bit over eight years, and early on when I came here, we had strong student leaders who were advocating for more education for employees and for their peers,” Swearingen said.

“It was years of powerful advocacy by students requesting this, saying they needed it, saying they wanted the employees around them to be better trained, and they wanted this information for themselves.

Bullying

Sexual Assault

“When they really brought these issues to the forefront,” she added, “our president made the decision to support the allocation of resources toward this work.”

Evolving With Time

After its passage half a century ago, Title IX wasn’t just left on the books as written, never to be changed or even tweaked. Instead, it has evolved with time, and continues to do so. The U.S. Department of Education is planning to release updates and revisions this spring.

“When that comes out, we’ll update our policies and processes here at Washington, and that update would include a number of things that might change how employees do their job around this work,” Swearingen said, adding that more education and training for employees and students could be forthcoming in the wake of those changes.

While carrying out and delivering on all aspects of Title IX is clearly a UW priority, Swearingen pointed out that administrators are always looking beyond their own purple-and-gold boundaries.

“There is just a range of what different institutions across the nations are doing, and I think everyone is doing their best to try to implement Title IX regulations,” she said. “But different institutions do it in really different ways. I think that we have found some pathways and options that are really creative and innovative.

“I would say the way we do our work is a little bit different than some other institutions,” Swearingen continued. “But we’re always looking to other folks to learn, as well, because other people are also doing some innovative stuff. So, it’s like, yes, let’s listen to those other good ideas, absolutely.”

Even though conversations about it naturally shift toward athletics, Title IX goes well beyond the playing fields.

“We have different strategies for different populations at the University of Washington,” Kiana Swearingen said. “Different folks need information delivered in different ways, and they need to be motivated in different ways.”

PATRO L BE A CH

Senior

Chloe Loreen

Barely 10 years old,

Husky Beach Volleyball

goes from ripple to rip curl and is now a top-20 team nationally

BY MARK MOSCHETTI • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

Natalie Robinson had a plan — or at least she thought she did.

Arriving at the University of Washington in the summer of 2017 after a standout high school volleyball career, she was going to play two years with the Huskies’ national-caliber indoor team. Then, she would make a full-time switch to the still-fledgling beach volleyball program.

During that fall of 2017, that’s how it worked out. From there, she was going to redshirt during the 2018 winter/spring beach season. But it didn’t happen that way. The beach team needed her — and a dozen of her indoor teammates — right away to help fill out a 17-player roster.

“They didn’t have a beach-only format,” Robinson recalled. “There was no offseason training and not enough people to field a team without the support of indoor.

“In some ways, it was really exciting. They had this program that no one had paid attention to at that point, or people hadn’t invested in. I took on ownership to help improve the program.”

Zip ahead to 2023. Washington now has a squad on which 13 of the 14 athletes play exclusively beach ball. The team goes through a rugged schedule, which this year included 13 of the preseason top-20 teams and is part of a Pac-12 Conference that is just as power-packed on the sand as it is on the hardwood.

And the Huskies won. They just wrapped up their first-ever 20-victory season, going 21-15. They reached as high as No. 12 in the national rankings. All season, Washington was in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament, but ultimately was the first one out when the 16-team national bracket was finalized.

“We came in with high expectations this year, knowing who we were bringing back from last year’s team, namely Natalie and Chloe Loreen (Robinson’s partner in the No. 1 spot), who are one of the top pairs in the country,” said UW Coach Derek Olson. “Then with some of the transfers we got to come in from other schools, we knew were going to have a deeper team.”

Continued on page 12

PATRO L BE A CH

RISING — EVEN

RAPIDLY IN THE RAIN

The beach version of the game is growing in popularity rapidly. During the 2023 season, 93 schools sponsored the sport, most are at the Division I level, although several are either D2 or D3 programs.

“Every year, it’s growing — even through COVID, which is a healthy sign,” Olson said.

For those such as Robinson who focus on the beach game, one of the biggest attractions is being out there for the entirety of every match with your playing partner. There’s no position specialization, and you don’t get subbed out.

But getting used to playing the sand game after a lifetime of playing indoors isn’t easy.

“Indoor girls often struggle at first because on the beach, you’re responsible for every single skill — assists, serving, setting, blocking, defending,” Robinson said. “Once they figure out the movements, they have success.”

Added Loreen, who played indoors at Santa Clara before coming to the UW in 2020, “If you’re weak in one area, that’s the area that’s going to be targeted, so it forces you to develop every aspect of your game. You get to do everything — pass, defense, set, swing. It’s really fun.”

In Seattle, that fun can even include lessthan-ideal playing conditions.

“Our team motto is ‘Gritty by nature,’” Loreen said. “No other teams in the nation are playing in 40-degree weather and rain. Last year at our home tournament, we played through hail and rain. You just have to have great attitudes about it and have to push through, and that creates this extra level of toughness and grit.”

Natalie Robinson

Mary Sinclair

Senior

Junior

For seniors Robinson and Loreen, this was their second year together. They went 28-7, all in the No. 1 position. (They were 18-9 at No. 1 last season.) On May 4, they were named first-team All-Americans — the first Huskies ever to garner that honor for the beach game. Loreen has been invited to join training camp with the U.S. national beach program.

“I was just hoping I would get my chance to play with Chloe,” Robinson said. “Last season, Derek paired us together right away, and it just really worked.”

“We have great chemistry, and we have great communication,” Loreen said. “It took us a while to get used to each other and learn how the other one ticks. But once we did, we just established this ability to communicate about everything in a productive way.”

Washington also had solid pairs at other spots on the 2023 ladder. Sophomore Kendall Mather and junior Piper Monk-Heidrich were 18-15 at No. 2. Seniors Paloma Bowman and Scarlett Dahl were 16-7 at No. 3, while senior Teagan DeFalco and junior Mary Sinclair put together a 14-7 record at No. 4.

“You can try and match what you think is a complementary skillset — like one tall blocker and one shorter defender — but if the chemistry is not there it’s not going to work,” Olson said. “On the contrary, you might have a team that you wouldn’t think works well, but for whatever reason, they have synergy together.”

Continued on page 14

Scarlett Dahl

Piper Monk-Heidrich

Kendall Mather

Teagan DeFalco

“Our team motto is ‘Gritty by nature,’” Loreen said. “No other teams in the nation are playing in 40-degree weather and rain.”

Senior

Sophomore

Junior

PATRO L BE A CH

is Possible’

Olson took over the Washington program in 2022 after four years at California, the last two as acting head coach and interim head coach. In 2021, Cal had four wins against top-10 opponents. His first Husky team went 12-20 before this year’s record-setting 21-15 campaign.

“The game is something I know really well, but it’s always different when you’re in a new spot trying to build a program, essentially,” he said. “Last year, we kind of learned that in a way, anything is possible, and we had two really good wins (3-2 vs. No. 11 Cal and 3-2 vs. No. 8 Hawaii). Especially for the returners, it kind of showed that it’s possible.

“It’s different to be consistently there, but they knew it was possible,” he added, “and they knew what they needed to work on coming into this year.”

As she prepares to move on, Robinson, whose next stop is law school in Texas, can look back at that spring of 2018 and take some significant sense of satisfaction in what has been built and is still being built under Olson’s guidance.

“A place like Washington, with such amazing resources and such amazing programs in every other sport totally has the potential to develop an elite beach program, which we’re seeing now,” she said. “Derek has come in with principles of play that he lives by, and therefore the program lives by them. He takes ownership of every single part of the program and is working to improve it.”

Added Olson, “one of the main reasons for doing what I do is I want it to be an environment where people can reach their potential.”

And, along the way, help the Husky program reach its potential as well.

‘AnythinG

Paloma Bowman

Chloe Loreen

Natalie Robinson

Coach Derek Olson

Senior Senior

irst time for everything, right? For the University of Washington men's track team, that includes first place.

Sweeping every distance event from 800 to 10,000 meters — including the title clincher by Brian Fay in the 5,000 — the Huskies won their first-ever Pac-12 Conference crown on May 14, thereby ending Oregon’s 15-year reign.

Washington wound up with 151 points, 14 ahead of second-place Southern California. Oregon was sixth with 75.

“A long time coming,” UW head coach Andy Powell said on the Pac-12 Networks telecast after the meet. “When we took over five years ago, we told some of the freshmen that this was going to be our goal.

“Today was special because it was not just one event group, it was a whole team effort,” Powell added. “One person goes down, and other people step up. You can’t do it with a couple individuals. You have to have a great team.”

Continued on page 18

CHAMPIONS

FMARK MOSCHETTI • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

UW men win first conference title ending Oregon’s 15-year reign — women take third overall and make history in pole vault

Cass Elliott Senior

On the final day of the meet at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, Calif., Fay was already in championship form. The senior from Ireland won the 10,000 on the first night, getting to the finish line 22 hundredths of a second ahead of Stanford’s Charlie Hicks. Fay clocked 28:24.90.

He had more of a gap in the 5K, winning by four-plus seconds in 14:08.03. The 10 team points he picked up, plus senior Jacob Englar’s eight for a second-place pole vault finish, were enough to seal the deal for the Huskies with just the 4-by400 relay remaining.

Fay’s titles were two of the program-record seven during the three-day competition.

Senior Sam Ellis won the 800 meters in 1:46.77; fellow sophomore Nathan Green took the 1,500 in 3:42.22, and senior Ed Trippas was nearly five seconds in front of the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a winning time of 8:37.26.

Senior Cass Elliott defended his 400-meter hurdles title in 49.31, and junior Ollie Thorner won the decathlon, totaling 7,761 points.

Washington’s women hit a milestone of their own, finishing in sole possession of third place with 85.5 points. Their previous high had been a tie for third in 2019.

The Huskies had not just one champion, but essentially two champions in the pole vault as junior Nastassja Campbell and sophomore Sara Borton both cleared 14 feet, 3 ¼ inches. That marked the first time in Pac-12 history that the women’s pole vault crown was shared. Even the fewer-misses tiebreaker couldn’t separate them, as both had cleared all their preceding bars, then missed twice at 14-3 ¼ before getting over on the third attempt.

For Borton, it was the first time in her career that she cleared a 14-footer outdoors. It was the third straight title and second straight 1-2 finish for Washington vaulters.

A first-year Husky after transferring from Arkansas, Campbell vaulted into the national lead on April 15 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif., clearing 14 feet, 11 inches. That was still No. 1 coming out of conference. The only vaulter ahead of Campbell in the UW record book is also the only female 15-footer in that record book: Olivia Gruver, who went 15-6 ¼ in 2019.

Junior Ida Eikeng broke her own school record again in the women’s heptathlon, finishing with 6,114 points for second place behind Southern Cal senior Allie Jones (6,234). Eikeng won the shot put portion (47-2 ½) and the javelin portion (167-6).

The nationals are Wednesday-Saturday, June 7-10, at the University of Texas in Austin. Visit GoHuskies.com to see the results and coverage.

Nastassja Campbell

Ida Eikeng

Junior

Junior

Records Still Going Down

Indoors. Outdoors. For the Huskies, the change of seasons didn’t change their knack for rewriting their track and field record books.

After a remarkably successful winter under the roof with multiple new school standards established, UW athletes kept it going under open skies this spring.

Before flying to California for the Pac-12s, three Huskies had risen to the top of the program lists in their respective events, and one more simply improved upon the record that she already owned.

One of those record book newcomers was Ed Trippas, a senior and a 2020 Australian Olympian who previously starred at Princeton before joining Washington this year. On April 21 in the Payton Jordan Invitational, Trippas broke the 36-year-old standard in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Trippas completed his 7½ laps around Stanford University’s Cobb Track in 8 minutes, 31.40 seconds.

In so doing, Trippas, who was fifth in the NCAA steeplechase last spring, erased Dan Bell’s record of 8:32.27 that was set in 1987. Not only was Trippas’ time by far and away the fastest in the Pac-12, but it also ranked No. 3 in the country at the end of conference weekend.

Cass Elliott didn’t go quite that far back in 400-meter hurdles race. But history is history, and the senior already has plenty of experience in making it. At the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Ariz., on April 30, Elliott came across the finish line in 49.26 seconds.

Continued on page 20

Nathan Green

Sara Borton

MaKayla Kelby

Joe Waskom

Ed Trippas

Sophomore

Junior

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

That took down Shane Charles’ 17-year-old mark of 49.51, set in 2006. It was Elliott’s third record-setting run of 2023. He beat the indoor 800-meter record twice. The first one was 1:47.89 on Jan. 28. Then, after teammate Nathan Green snagged it from him on Feb. 11 with a 1:46.99, Elliott took it back on Feb. 25 in 1:47.76.

Like Elliott, junior distance star Joe Waskom knows something about records. On Jan. 27 at the UW Invitational indoor meet in what was dubbed a modern-day version of the “Miracle Mile,” Waskom raced to the top of the Husky leaderboard with his time of 3:51.90.

On April 15 at the top-flight Bryan Clay Invite, Waskom posted a 3:35.86 in the 1,500 meters. The reigning NCAA champion in that race thus moved past current teammates Nathan Green (who had been No. 1 at 3:37.46) and Luke Houser (previously No. 2 at 3:37.51).

Already Arrived But Now Even Better

Every time Ida Eikeng enters a heptathlon, she’s a threat to break the Washington record for total points in the two-day, seven-event endurance endeavor.

That’s because she has broken it five times already — and now, it’s six times after the aforementioned 6,114 she scored at Pac-12s.

Record No. 5 came on April 12-13 at the Mt. Sac Relays, one of the top national caliber meets every spring at Hilmer Lodge Stadium. Not only was this particular performance a record breaker, but it was also a barrier buster.

The Norwegian native and three-time first-team All-American finished with exactly 6,100 points. It was her first time surpassing 6,000 and beat her previous No. 1 all-time UW tally of 5,939 that gave her second place at the 2022 NCAA Championships.

Her Mt. Sac total included personal-best distances in both of the throws: 48 feet, 4 inches in the shot put, and 171-6 in the javelin. Her jav distance was 17 feet farther than her closest challenger.

Brian Fay

Ollie Thorner

Sam Ellis

Senior Junior

Senior

PRESEASON POISE

alen DeBoer is not, by title, the name, image and likeness coach, or the Pac12 media rights coach, or the conference realignment coach.

His title is Head Football Coach for the University of Washington. And yet, in the modern world of college football, he is all of the above.

“All those things are part of the pieces I have to keep in mind every single day,” said DeBoer. “They’re things that impact our players and the culture of our program. That’s my job.”

DeBoer is also not the transfer portal coach, but his effective use of the portal — and a relationship he fostered over several years and half a continent — helped bring a talented midwestern quarterback named Michael Penix Jr. to Montlake for the 2022 season.

DeBoer’s success in instilling his culture for Husky football in 2022, his first season as head coach, is reflected in an 11-2 record, a Valero Alamo Bowl victory and a No. 8 national ranking in the final Associated Press poll. He was named Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year by his peers and the Associated Press Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

And Penix, who demonstrated undeniable gifts at Indiana University in an injury-affected four years, made himself at home in his first season at UW. He passed for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns as the high-scoring Huskies defeated all three of their Northwest rivals — Oregon State, Oregon and Washington State — and finished tied for second in the Pac-12.

Penix’s return to UW for a sixth college season is a large reason the Dawgs are regarded as a consensus top 10 team in early preseason rankings for

BY BART POTTER • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

2023. The Penix name can be found in conversations around football that include another name: Heisman.

A trophy bearing the latter name did not come up in Penix’s discussion of aspirations for 2023.

“We got a lot of goals we want to accomplish,” Penix said. “There’s a lot left out on the table.”

It was in Bloomington in 2019 that DeBoer was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Hoosiers and Penix, then a redshirt freshman. He started six games and passed for 1,394 yards and 10 TDs. After DeBoer was hired to be the Huskies head coach, the portal delivered Penix to Seattle.

If you have goals for a football season, as Penix does for 2023, they might as well involve perfection.

“Always finish every drive with points,” he said.

Penix operated with precision behind an experienced Husky offensive line that provided a virtually spotless pocket. He was sacked only five times all season.

The Huskies O-line might be better this year, according to Penix. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I get sacked zero times,” he said.

DeBoer allowed himself a look ahead on Penix’s

behalf when he described what NFL draft gurus might see when they scrutinize the sixth-year senior in his final college season.

First, they like his “arm talent” and his ability to make plays, according to his coach. And Penix’s journey in college football has brought him to an understanding of leadership and what it takes to win.

“He’s exactly what an NFL team would want.”

Penix is confident he knows what the pros will find. “They’re going to see a quarterback in control,” he said, “quick with my process, who can put the ball anywhere on the field.”

With five other teams besides the Huskies ranked in the preseason top 25, the Pac-12 offers a challenge at every turn of the schedule. DeBoer knows he has weapons to take to battle.

On offense, the Huskies will rely on Penix and a productive, experienced trio of receivers (Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk), a fleet of versatile running backs and that promising offensive line.

On a defense looking to take a step forward, the Huskies have an All-America candidate in junior edge Bralen Trice.

“We’re excited,” DeBoer said. “We know there’s a lot of work to support the goals we have and the expectations that are out there. Just focus on what we can control, work hard every day and trust the process.”

For Michael Penix Jr., perfection is on the table.

“We don’t want to lose. Losing is not even in the equation.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Our August issue of Go Huskies will have comprehensive coverge of the football team, offense, defense and the excitement surrounding Penix’s Heisman watch.

DeBoer’s Huskies are humble, have high hopes and a Heisman candidate in Penix

Petr Hruby GOLFER

Petr Hruby, a senior on the University of Washington golf team, was raised in Pilsen, Czech Republic, a midsize city about 50 miles west of Prague. Yet after four years living on the other side of the globe in Seattle, this, he considers to be home.

“I always feel at home in America these days, Seattle specifically,” Hruby said. “I haven’t lived there (Czech Republic) for six years now. My friends are here. The U.S. is more of a home for me, even though I may not be allowed to stay here.”

Hruby has developed into a fine golfer and significant contributor in his four years as a Husky. He credits much of what he has become, what he has done and who he is, to the university taking a chance on him. As he says, all “those memories you’re never going to forget, thanks to Washington.”

Hruby, who was part of Washington’s Pac-12 Championship a year ago, still has one more year of eligibility (COVID exemption) next year. Then, he’ll begin his quest to stay ‘home’ by qualifying among the many ways that lead to the PGA Tour. Failing that, he might be required to return Europe, but he said, “I don’t think I can go back home and not play golf.”

Here’s a 10-question look into the man from Pilsen.

CZECH UP

A CONVERSATION WITH BOB SHERWIN FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

European Petr Hruby brings his own ‘spin’ to the Husky golf team, loves Seattle and plays an important role on Alan Murray’s squad

You come from Pilsen, Czech Republic, where golf is not among the most popular activities. How did you get involved in the sport?

“I felt like I was part of the Tiger (Woods) Boom, as my parents were swept up by that in the 1990s. As a little kid, they would always bring me out to the golf course. Basically, I grew up on the course. After about 2000, it really started growing. There’s a lot more golf played there these days.’’

As a teen, you developed into a solid player but what path did you follow to secure a spot on an American college golf team?

“When I was 14 or 15, I was playing well and there were a bunch of guys better than me going to (American) colleges. I said I wanted to do that, so I started thinking about the best way to get there. Winters aren’t great in (Czech Republic), so I decided to go try the (Bishop Gates Golf) Academy in Florida. I thought I’d be there for three or four months, but I finished high school there. I was in a tournament with (eventual UW teammate from China) Bo Peng and Coach (UW's Alan Murray) walked with our group. I didn’t play well, but I guess he liked my game. Plus, I managed to win the Doral Public Tournament in Miami. I had no contacts at all before that, but that put my name out there. Good timing.’’

Do you find yourself using Czech expressions when you golf, or have you switched to American ones?

“My freshman year, it was normal for me to swear. But in the States, I found that it’s kind of clean. So, I’d swear in Czech. I definitely abused it too much. I needed to calm down and coach said it was a good way for me to stop speaking Czech.’’

What English words did you find that were the hardest to pronounce?

“It’s funny you would say that. Taehoon (Song, a UW teammate from South Korea) and I both have trouble with ‘regularly.’ It’s a pretty common word, but I have to take a second and pronounce it slowly. It’s a tongue twister for me. But I think I’ve been in America so long now that English has become my No. 1 language.’’

How did you learn to speak English so well?

“English in the Czech Republic is like Spanish here in the States. Everyone takes it in school. When I went to Florida, there was no other option. You had to improve your level of speaking. So you watch movies and videos. English is all around you.’’

You were part of UW’s Pac-12 championship team a year ago. What did you take away from that experience, particularly watching the team’s top players, R.J. Manke and Noah Woolsey?

“I felt like I learned so much, looking back at it. Their golf IQ was so good and their ability in getting the ball into the hole as fast as possible. They were not great drivers but really knew how to score. All of us have an ‘A’ game and can shoot a 64. But their ‘B’ game is so good. They can shoot a 70 on a bad day. That’s what separates them. They were mentally calm and could manage their emotions. I would see R.J. react to a bad hole and it was like he didn’t care.’’

How have you managed this American transition, moving to Florida as a teenager then shifting 3,000 miles from the sunny southeast to the cold/wet northwest for the past four years?

“I did not love it there (in Florida). Back home, my country is a lot more like Washington. People say it’s miserable (weather) but I prefer it over always sunny Florida. Playing the whole winter there you’re almost burnt out by the time spring comes. Here, you can find different things to do, getting breaks from golf. I find that much more beneficial than a month straight on the course in Florida.’’

What do you do on your breaks?

“I love pickleball. I can play it two, three hours at a time. It’s so much fun. When I get a day off (from golf), I don’t prefer to sit around. I like pickleball. It’s competitive, you move around, run and sweat. There’s the fitness element to it, and you’re not thinking about anything else.’’

What places have you visited in America that have impressed you?

“I haven’t been to the southwest yet but I’m going there this summer. California has so many different landscapes – just the Bay Area alone. An hour drive away and it could be 15 degrees different, windy and goodness knows. I love Monterey, Cypress Point, Pebble Beach. Not a lot of people get to experience those courses. I would not have if I didn’t play for the Huskies. That hole (the par-3, 222-yard 16th) at Cypress was unreal. I made a really good drive then drained the 40-footer from downtown (for a birdie). It’s one of those memories you’re never going to forget, thanks to Washington.’’

Like everyone who plays college golf, you probably are dreaming of a professional career, somewhere. What’s your thoughts on the future?

“I’m less than a year away from leaving here and there are a lot of unknowns in the future. If I’m not able to stay in the States, what's that going to feel like? I love the States. Maybe I can catch on the Canadian Tour or Korn Ferry. It’s not going to be easy. The DP Tour (Europe) has a lot more open sponsor invites. I don’t think I can go back home and not play golf.’’

‘Season’ing

Washington’s golf teams show grit and determination in 2023 as they refuel their squads for a return to Pac-12 prominence

Junior

Stefanie Deng

BY BOB SHERWIN • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

In every golf bag for every golfer around the world, there are a maximum of 14 clubs allowed. And before any golfer can hope to attain greatness, he or she must be able to master each one of those clubs for distance control, touch, trajectory, and accuracy.

Paying your dues, building a game — it’s fully dependent on time spent on the driving range, practice greens and practice rounds. That attention to detail, perfecting all the shots, will get you partially on your way there.

Then there’s on-course management, both mental and physical, that separates contenders from pretenders. As University of Washington Men’s Golf Coach Alan Murray says, “anyone can be the best practice player in the world but playing in tournaments is how you know better from worse. It’s all about the tournaments.”

There are obvious exceptions — Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm (all were NCAA standouts) — who likely had all the shots and the right thoughts while still in the womb. But for most of us, it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to develop all facets of the game, getting better year by year.

And, for Murray, it’s having enough of those players to put together a championship team. One year ago, the Huskies had a veteran team, led by Noah Woolsey and R.J. Manke, both fifth-year seniors. Woolsey won the Pac-12 individual title and sank the winning putt to give the Huskies the conference crown at Aldarra Golf Club in nearby Sammamish.

Manke, originally from Lakewood, Wash., was part of Pepperdine’s national championship team in 2021 before transferring to Washington for his final year. He finished among the top-10 players in the country. Both linksters are now working their way through the professional ranks.

Next season, Petr Hruby (Czech Republic) and Bo Peng (China) both will be in the same situation as fifth year seniors for the Huskies, having been granted essentially a redshirt (COVID) year. In fact, UW does not lose a player (barring any transfers) from this year’s team and will be adding three far-flung freshmen, Finn Koelle from Germany, Henry Hayward from England, and Justin Bai from China.

It’s a rotating carousel of experience that can contribute to favorable results. Hruby and Peng, along with junior teammates Taehoon Song (South Korea) and Teddy Lin (Taiwan) had seven top-10 finishes among them this season. Hruby won the Lamkin San Diego Classic while Peng finished third at The Goodwin.

Murray said Hruby “has been in the lineup since he got here. He’s a little better each year.” He added that Peng “really started to blossom this year. He was third at Harding Park, sixth at the Pac-12s. Solid finishes. He’s close to winning.”

Murray also said that freshman Josh Koo, of Cerritos, Calif., who played in more events than anyone on the team (10), made significant strides in course management and could be ready to bloom next season as a sophomore.

The Huskies did not win a tournament this season but got better as the schedule closed. They were tied for first place entering the final round of the Pac-12 Championship in early May, but the defending champions slipped to fifth at the finish. Perhaps, a lesson learned for next year when everyone who played in the Pac-12s returns.

Continued on page 28

Camille Boyd

Joshua Koo

Brittany Kwon

Junior Freshman Senior

UW was good enough to be ranked among the top 40 teams in the country, which earned them a berth at the NCAA Regionals in mid-May. The Huskies were sixth at the Auburn Regional.

Murray expects steady improvement from all his players, as well as competitive nudges from the three newcomers.

“Next year, our lineup will be a lot more unpredictable,” Murray added. “With the new guys, the water will be a little muddier to the obvious candidates. Which, as a coach, is what you want.”

The Washington women’s golf team, under longtime coach Mary Lou Mulflur, is in a situation not unlike the men’s team. The Husky women also were led by — and will return — two veteran players: juniors Stefanie Deng (China) and Camille Boyd (Yorba Linda, Calif.). Both finished the season by qualifying for the NCAA Regional at Palouse Ridge May 8-10, outside Pullman, Wash.

Deng shot a 3-under-par 213 to finish in a tie for 23rd place at the Regional, but Boyd sustained a heartbreaking loss on the final day. Locked in a duel with UC Riverside’s Tifffany Le, Boyd birdied the final hole for a 13-under-par 203, one short of her own school record. However, Le chipped in for eagle on the 18th to edge Boyd by one shot, denying her the chance to advance to the NCAA Championships.

“What a brutal way to lose by one, with the other player chipping in for eagle on 18,” Mulflur said. “It was as tough a loss as you can get.”

It ended a solid campaign for Boyd and Deng, who powered the Huskies all season. They completed the year with the team’s two lowest-scoring averages, Boyd at 74.11 and Deng at 74.88. Each had two top-10 finishes and combined for 10 sub-par rounds. Only one other Husky earned a top-10 finish and just three others had a sub-par round, one apiece.

The pair gives Mulflur and the Huskies two seasoned players, tested in the NCAAs. Both Boyd and Deng know what it takes to be competitive as they enter their fourth season at Montlake. (They have the option of an additional fifth season but likely will attempt to turn pro after the 2024 season).

“I’m really proud of both players. It’s a good springboard into next season,” said Mulflur. “It’s something to learn and grow from.”

The team had a pair of seniors, Brittany Kwon (Bremerton) and Winnie Ng (Malaysia), but both likely will not exercise a fifth-year option. Kwon is considering law school while Ng will be transferring to Missouri to be closer to her brother in Kansas City.

Overall, it was a youthful squad with two freshmen and four sophomores on the roster. The Huskies won just one tournament, the Causeway Invitational in late February, and finished 9th at the Pac-12 Championships.

“We did not have the depth we needed to have,” Mulflur added. “Looking back, I think Camille put a lot of pressure on herself to perform well.”

Mulflur, whose 2016 UW team won the NCAA championship, will bring in two experienced international players next season, Vivian Lu of New Zealand and Maddie Smith from England.

“I think we’ll look for our best players (Deng and Boyd) to be more vocal leaders,” said Mulflur, who will be entering her 41st season at Montlake. “We’re going to be a stronger team next year.”

Taehoon Song

Teddy Lin Coach Mary Lou Mulflur

Coach Alan Murray

Camille Boyd

Winnie Ng

Junior Junior Senior

Junior

Photographs by RED BOX PICTURES

GREAT RUN FOR HUSKIES AT WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

The Huskies headed to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series for the 15th time in program history and first appearance since 2019 earlier this month as the seventh-overall seed in the tournament.

The road wasn’t easy coming out of the Seattle Regional following the “Miracle on Montlake” with a seven-run comeback win over McNeese in the winner-take-all game seven to advance to the Super Regional.

In the best-of-three Supers against No. 22 Louisiana, the Huskies took the first two games to advance to Oklahoma City.

Washington opened its trip in OKC against Pac-12 foe No. 15 Utah with a 4-1 victory over the Utes. Sophomore infielder Rylee Holtorf powered the Huskies to victory with a three-hit performance and driving in three runs.

However, UW’s season ended after a pair of hard-fought losses against No. 3 Florida State and No. 9 Stanford. Washington ended the season with a record of 44-15. In the 30 full seasons of Husky Softball, the program has compiled 40 or more wins in 21 of them.

Washington has made 29 straight postseason appearances dating back to 1994 — the second year of the program. Washington has the fourth-most NCAA Tournament wins all-time (134) and fourth-most WCWS appearances (15).

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