FALL 2022 33 The DBU Women’s Golf and Women’s Soccer teams are no strangers to success. The two programs have been pushing DBU Athletics to new heights for years. On the course, women’s golf has teed off in six straight National Championships and, in 2021, became the first program in school history to win a national title. On the pitch, women’s soccer has overcome heavy roster turnover and a coaching change to emerge as dominant as ever. While each team has its own backstory and a unique history of how it became a perennial powerhouse, the two squads have one thing in common; they’re both ranked No. 1 in the country at the same time. Kenny Trapp built the DBU Golf program 18 years ago and has been at the helm ever since. He hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since winning the national title in 2021 and brings back much of that championship core for the fall season. And, once again, the Lady Patriots are off to a hot start. The team opened the year with a 22-stroke victory at the UIndy Fall Invitational. A triumph that saw Jordan Karrh win the top medalist spot with a career-best 207 (9-under par) scorecard, and Faith DeLaGarza, Julia Garcia, and Olivia Mitchell all finishing in the top 25. The team answered its seasonopening win with a gritty podium finish at the DBU Classic, where the Lady Patriots fired off a low-round 279 (9-under par) to finish third overall against 15 of the top schools in the country. DBU was dubbed the Team of the Week by Golfstat and produced a Lone Star Conference Golfer of the Week selection in redshirt sophomore Jordan Karrh. “[On being ranked No. 1] We’re just trying to be the best team we can be. Our ranking is a result of that,” explains Trapp. “We’ve been No. 1 in the country off and on over the last six or seven years... Our girls know the expectations when they come to DBU, and the team has to hold each other accountable to them... The girls talk about the rankings, but ultimately, they’re just a result of the work they put in every day.” Marcus Wood’s DBU story reads a bit differently. The long-time leader of Hardin-Simmons already proved himself capable of maintaining the standard of excellence DBU fans expect at the Patriot Soccer Field in his first season with DBU. In his first game with DBU, Wood’s Patriots went to No. 8 UC Colorado Springs and gutted out a 3-1 win that sparked an explosive start to the fall season. The team went on to win its next four matches in the best start to a fall season in school history. DBU has not been considered an underdog much in recent years. But, according to Wood, maintaining that mentality—and a healthy understanding of what rankings actually mean—is key to keeping the team focused amid of success. “Underdogs have a special energy that wants to prove everyone wrong. We will always have the energy of an underdog. None of our goals mention being ranked, so we focus no time or energy on that. Instead, we focus on getting one percent better every day. We focus on playing ‘All for Him,’ which means we give our absolute best every day.” With a new coach on the sidelines and eight new players in the starting lineup, the Patriots are showing the country how a championship mentality can withstand even the most drastic of changes. DBU WOMEN’S GOLF AND SOCCER TEAMS RANKED NO. 1 IN THE COUNTRY DBU Women’s Golf Team clenched a National Championship in 2021 and is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. Pictured (left to right) Julia Garcia, Graci Henard, Faith DeLaGarza, Olivia Mitchell, Jordan Karrh, and Brandee Fleming. Defender Parker Coe leads the celebration at DBU Women’s Soccer 2-1 win over St. Mary’s University, the team’s 10th season victory
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