My Story: Women's Golf's Mary Joiner

'My Story' is a new series on WKUSports.com of first-person feature articles written by WKU student-athletes. The student-athletes will be telling their own stories in their own words. Our fourth article in the series was written by women's golf senior Mary Joiner, whose season came to a sudden end as the team was between events on their spring break trip in Florida.

I'd like to start out by wishing everyone health and safety during this crazy, unprecedented time. Thank you to the Hilltopper athletic staff, my friends, and family for all the support they have shown me over the past few weeks.

I never would have imagined this would be how my senior year would end. Our team was in Florida for spring break, where we had just finished playing in UNF's tournament. Our plan was to stay in Florida for another week and get some good practice in before we hosted our Spring Break Shootout tournament at the beginning of next week, but that would never happen.

Two days after UNF's tournament, social media was blowing up with cancellations. At first games were instructed to be played without fans, then games were cancelled altogether, then whole conference championships cancelled, and finally all spring sport competition had been cancelled. It seemed like every time we refreshed, another announcement had been made of another team or conference ending their season. Coach had gone to the course to set up for our tournament next week while my teammates and I were at the house, constantly refreshing Twitter to see what would happen to our season.

When Coach got back he told us what we had already unfortunately assumed, that our tournament next week was off and we had to return to campus. Never would I have imagined that I had just played my last collegiate tournament.

After about a week of letting it sink in that my collegiate career was over, there was talk of the NCAA granting spring athletes another year of eligibility. At first, I didn't give it much thought, for I had planned on getting a job and did not picture my life with another year of college. I finished an undergraduate degree in finance in three years and will graduate this year with my MBA, so I wasn't even sure if I was academically eligible to return to school and pursue another undergrad degree.

However, after talking with Coach, compliance officers, athletic and academic advisors, my parents, and my friends, we came to the conclusion that I was athletically and academically eligible and returning for another year would 100 percent be in my best interest. My play during my senior year did not reach the level I was hoping for, and I am so grateful to the NCAA and WKU for blessing me with the opportunity to return for a fifth year and end my career the right way.

If this experience has taught me anything it's to never take anything for granted and always leave everything out on the course, because you never know when it could be your last round. I'm so very thankful for the opportunity to return next year and can't wait to see what next season holds!

Mary Joiner Signature

My Story Collection
My Story: Women's Basketball's Sandra Skinner (March 26)
My Story: Men's Basketball's Taveion Hollingsworth (April 1)
My Story: Baseball's Ray Zuberer III (April 8)

Players Mentioned

Mary Joiner

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