Maddie Ananthasane

Maddie Ananthasane set the bar high in her first year on the University of North Georgia (UNG) women's golf team.

The freshman from Dacula, Georgia, won the individual Peach Belt Conference championship and helped lead the team to a program-best second place finish in the tournament. She also earned an individual spot for the NCAA championships, where she tied for 31st in May 2021 in Dearborn, Michigan.

For her accomplishments, Ananthasane was named PBC Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors, as well.

By any measure, it was a strong transition to the college level after a year of varsity golf experience in high school, where she also played varsity basketball for two years.

Ananthasane also has been studying how to be a leader by watching UNG seniors Megan Sabol, Carson Roberts and Morgan Rylee, noting how they led the team. The teammates shared their experiences from earlier in their college careers, forming a bond on and off the course. It is one of Ananthasane's favorite aspects of the team.

"We can always count on each other," she said. "And we support each other no matter what."

She said head coach Sierra Campbell has helped her become better as both a person and a player. Even as one of the younger team members, Ananthasane appreciated the opportunities to make a positive mark on the team.

"The mentees teach the mentor, too," she said. "Mentorship is not one-sided."

Ananthasane said leaders should gain as much input as possible to make informed decisions.

"A leader is a role model to others," she said. "They make decisions that impact a whole group."

One of the highlights of her first year came in her first collegiate tournament. The team was in fifth place entering the final round of the NCAA Regional Preview in Cleveland, Tennessee, and stormed back to earn the victory in October 2020.

"We kept fighting like we always do," Ananthasane said.

She said tenacity comes naturally for her, thanks to the support of her parents.

She credits her early success at UNG to the numerous faculty and staff who allowed her the flexibility needed to keep up her studies during the team's demanding spring travel schedule.  She is on track to graduate in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, inspired partly by the nursing shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.