Boise State women’s golf is in a new stage after the hiring of head coach Kailin Downs. Downs played for the University of New Mexico and tried to play professionally for some time before getting into coaching.
The women’s golf team is excited for the future with new coaching changes. Within this program, they believe that Downs is going to lead them to something great.
Even before the season, Downs was trying to build strong team comradery, according to sophomore health science major Elli Gordon.
“First month she was here, we all went rafting all together and did a ropes course, and that was great,” Gordon said. “It just gives us a lot of memories to look back on and not just golf.”
According to Downs, the first half of a season was a slow start, where the team struggled to put effective rounds together.
According to freshman health studies major Hannah Lim, the team started to grow and adjust this season with a new coach and adding two new players.
“We had a pretty rough start to the season, but over time we have been growing,” Lim said. “We’ve been getting a lot closer to each other and our team dynamic has been really great right now.”
According to Downs, Lim was a great surprise for the Broncos as she made the travel team for the first time during the GCU Invitational on Feb. 28 where she played her first 36 holes.
Photo courtesy of Boise State Athletics
Downs also said that Gordan has the ability of consistency because she always knows what she will bring to the table each tournament.
Downs has high expectations for the Broncos. She plans to continue to make a name for the program specifically by getting the average score down as a team.
“I want to continue lowering the scoring average, and I want to continue to bring in better,” Downs said. “I also want to keep bringing in better players that can break records and help us compete. Our conference is really strong, but I think that we can work on finishing higher and higher every year and eventually win a championship.”
The Broncos are excited to compete in the Chambers Bay Classic on April 11 hosted by the University of Washington. It will be a great test for the team as this course is where the pros play which means it can be very difficult.
As a team, it is their goal to win a Mountain West Championship and hopefully make it to regionals in the upcoming years. Downs has been known to be a strong recruiter and is hoping to make this program even brighter than what it is now.
