SEASON REVIEW: Comet Women Celebrate Historic 2021 Season

For the first time program history, the UT Dallas women's golf program claimed the American Southwest Conference in 2021. With the league title, the Comets also made their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III National Championships.

The Comets women's golf team became the 13th UTD athletic program to claim at least one conference championship, leaving only the men's and women's indoor track & field teams, which were added during the 2020-21 academic year, without a league title.

Placing three golfers among the top four finishers, the nationally ranked UT Dallas women's golf team collected its first ASC trophy by outdistancing two-time defending conference champion Mary Hardin-Baylor by 19 strokes over the 36-hole event, played at The Hideout Golf Club in Brownwood.

The UTD women kicked off the postseason with the Comets' lowest-ever round in the ASC Championship with a first-round 306 to hold a nine-shot lead over the seven-team field. The Comets followed up with a second-round 320 while pulling away from the rest of the competition.

Junior Lindy Patterson closed out the tournament just one shot out of becoming the program's first-ever ASC medalist as she finished in second place with 36-hole total of 152. Freshman Karen Alvarez (154) placed third and senior Marissa Langer (155) placed fourth as all three Comets earned All-Tournament honors. Freshman Maddy Vilven finished tied for 11th and freshman SzeSze Fertitta tied for 25th.

The Comets then travel to East Lansing, Mich., for the program's first trip to the National Championships, closing out the trip making the cut and finishing in 15th place. 

UTD played in four regular-season tournaments before making their deep postseason run. The Comets opened the spring with a first-place finish at the Alamo City Classic, hosted by Trinity in San Antonio, with Alvarez claiming medalist honors. UTD then won the Schreiner Spring Shootout, played in Kerrville, with Alvarez collected another top individual finish.

The Comets then won their own home event, the Texas Cup, in mid-March, with Vilven earning medalist honors for UTD. The squad would close out the regular season at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic, hosted by Oklahoma City University, placing eighth among a field of primarily NAIA institutions.

ROSTER

SCHEDULE

STATISTICS

Throughout the 2020-21 season, the Comets would posted five of the top 10 single rounds and recorded three of the top four 36-hole scores in program history.

The Comets shot 306 twice during the spring, in the first round of the Alamo City Classic and the ASC Championship, the second-lowest rounds in school history. UTD would add a 307 in the second round of the Alamo City Classic.

UTD's 613 at the Trinity event was the second-lowest 36-hole total in program history as well while the Comets' 625 at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic is the program's third-lowest two-round total.

The Comets season scoring average of 321.07 is the lowest all-time for the program, besting the previous mark of 323.28 from the 2017-18 campaign. UTD also picked up four tournament victories, two more the previous record from 1999-00.

Freshman Karen Alvarez set a new mark for individual scoring average with a 78.43 average for the season. The old record was 79.39 set by current teammate Lindy Patterson when she was a freshman in 2017-18.

For the first time in program history, the UT Dallas women's golf team had two players named all-region freshman Karen Alvarez and senior Marissa Langer were both named All-West Region by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), announced Wednesday.

Alvarez led the Comets with a school-record 78.4 scoring average this year, playing in 14 total rounds through six events. She recorded two first-place finishes this spring and place in the top ten of the first five events of the season for the Comets. Alvarez earned All-Tournament Team honors at the American Southwest Conference Championships last month with a third-place finish at the event. She is now a two-time all-region performer for the Comets, also earning the distinction last spring in her debut collegiate season. Alvarez was also honored as first team All-ASC this season.

Langer closed her career with her first all-region honor after collecting second All-ASC recognition this spring. Langer finished her senior campaign with an 80.4 scoring average, playing in 14 rounds over six tournaments this spring. She recorded four top-ten finishes this season for the Comets, including a fourth place finish at the ASC Championships, also giving her All-Tournament Team honors. Langer, the program's all-time record holder with a 80.69 career scoring average, earned first team All-ASC honors in 2018 and 2019.

Four members of the UT Dallas women's golf team were recognized on the All-American Southwest Conference Women's Golf Teams this season.

Freshmen Karen Alvarez and Maddy Vilven were each listed among the six-player first team while senior Marissa Langer and junior Lindy Patterson were both honored as second team All-ASC. In addition, Comet head coach Butch Edge was recognized as the league's Coach of the Year for the second time in his six seasons with the program.

Alvarez led the Comets with a 77.20 scoring average through the ASC Championships. Alvarez placed in the top 10 of the first five tournaments played this spring, earning medalist honors at the Alamo Classic and Schreiner Spring Shootout. Alvarez placed third at the ASC Championships, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

Vilven was second on the squad this spring with a 79.00 scoring through her first eight rounds. Highlighting Vilven's first collegiate season a first place finish at the Texas Cup in March. She also placed 11th at the ASC Championships.

Patterson had a 79.60 scoring average for the Comets heading into the national championships and was the squad's top finisher at the ASC Championships, placing second. She had three top five finishes this season, also placing second at the Alamo Classic in February. Patterson shared ASC Player of the Year honors as a freshman in 2018 and was listed as honorable mention All-ASC in 2019.

Langer picked up All-ASC honors for the third time in her career with the Comets, claiming first team recognition in 2018 and 2019. She boasted a 80.10 scoring average through her first 10 rounds and was named All-Tournament at the ASC Championships, placing fourth. She had four top 10 finishes for the Comets this spring, placing second at the Texas Cup behind Vilven.

Edge took over as head coach of the Comets in 2016 and has turned around a program that struggled to field a team into a regional and now a national contender. Edge was also named ASC Women's Golf Coach of the Year in 2018.

UT Dallas freshman Karen Alvarez was named the recipient of the Elite 90 award, prior to the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships.

A marketing major out of Katy, Alvarez carries a 4.00 grade point average and was presented with the award during prior to the Comets' practice round at the Forest Akers Golf Courses in East Lansing, Mich.

Alvarez was a second-year freshman for the nationally ranked Comets on the links and led her squad with a 77.20 scoring average heading into the national championships. She placed in the top 10 in the first five tournaments for UTD this spring, earning medalist honors at both the Alamo City Classic and Schreiner Shoot Out and placing third at the ASC Championships last month. 

The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomore academically or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.

Alvarez is just the seventh student-athlete from the American Southwest Conference to even claim the award and first from the league to win the honor for women's golf.