With all of the Arizona Wildcatsโ sports teams on break for the summer, itโs an optimal time to take stock of some of the programs we havenโt heard from in a while.
The Starโs nine-day long project is examining the state of several of the UAโs menโs and womenโs sports on campus, reflecting on the prior season and looking ahead to the 2021-22 slate.
Up today is the Arizona womenโs golf program, coached by Laura Ianello.
SEC comes knocking
After the Wildcats reached the NCAA semifinals for a third consecutive season, it raised some eyebrows across the country โ namely in SEC country.
It was then that Ianello, a UA womenโs golf alum and the programโs coach since 2010, was approached by a school about potentially leaving Arizona.
UA womenโs golf coach Laura Ianello signed a strong recruiting class in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, landing highly touted golfers from France and Italy.
โIt was very flattering,โ Ianello said this week. โI got headhunted by a big SEC school for the first time in my career.โ
The potential opportunity for Ianello to leave quickly inspired the Arizona administration to secure the coach longterm and Ianello signed a five-year extension with the Wildcats in June that will keep her in Tucson through the 2026 season.
โArizona wanted me to stay here at my home and I love it here,โ Ianello said. โItโs really hard for me to think about even going to another school. This is the place I want to be.โ
Hou stays put
Much like Ianello, senior golfer Yu-Sang Hou had the chance to leave Arizona this summer. Hou put together a remarkable senior season in which she was named to the All-Pac-12 Team and her 71.72 scoring average was the lowest of her career.
Her success meant that pro opportunities awaited her in her home country of Taiwan. but due to the countryโs strict COVID-19 lockdown procedures, it made the logistics of traveling home and finding pro tournaments difficult.
As a result, Hou told the coaching staff in June that she will use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA and compete at Arizona for another season. The decision allows her to stay close with her sister, Vivian, who is also on the team, while pursuing LPGA opportunities in the U.S.
โSheโs going to go and try LPGA qualifying school this fall to see if she can get her LPGA Tour card,โ Ianello said. โWeโre uncertain if she will stay for the whole year, but weโre excited to possibly have her back.โ
The Arizona women's golf team advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the third straight season this past year.
Ianello adds depth, experience for next year
Unless Yu-Sang Hou starts her professional career before this fall, the Wildcats will return everyone from the spring roster that advanced to the semifinals. That news means Arizona will once again be a major player in the national championship race and Ianello isnโt done adding pieces.
The UA coach will bring in four more players for next season, one graduate transfer and three freshmen. Ellinor Sudow, a 23-year-old from Sweden, joins Arizona after four seasons at the University of Charlotte.
โSheโll add a little bit of experience to our team and maturity,โ Ianello said.
The three freshmen continue the tradition of Ianelloโs strong international roots for recruiting with athletes coming from France, the UK and Italy to join the Wildcats.
