The athletic department at Walla Walla University is vibrant. Dozens of students participate on many teams, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, and cross-country. Last week, The Collegian interviewed two students who are part of the golf team, an active but lesser-known team on campus, and recorded their unique experiences with their team and with WWU.
Breanna Scully is a senior biology student known for her role on campus as The Atlas manager. However, she is also a member of the golf team. She is one of the newer members, joining in the fall of 2022, but she played her first tournament in April 2023.
Scully appreciates the golf team. “I think it’s definitely the best part of Walla Walla University. It’s really relaxed. It’s a team sport, but when you’re out there, you’re by yourself. It’s not stressful in a way that other people are dependent on me, you just do your best and work on your own goals. I love it.” [1]
Although golfing is somewhat relaxed, it is still a sport and takes a substantial amount of time to practice. It is a two-season sport, taking place in the fall and spring, unlike other sports that are done in one quarter, like basketball. Team members are also expected to practice around 10 hours a week or more.
Scully believes the most special part of the WWU golf team is the deep involvement of the coaches. Scully noticed, “A lot of times, the coaches of other teams prefer to be with their best players. They don’t really check on the girls or the people who are behind. My coaches were constantly checking on me, bringing me food and water, and being so encouraging. The other girls all noticed it, saying, ‘Man, we want coaches like that.’”
Bryson Collins is a senior business major and joined the golf team his freshman year, making him one of the oldest members of the golf team. He is an experienced golfer; he started when he was in third grade. Collins played many sports at his high school, Sacramento Adventist Academy, including basketball, volleyball, flag football, and golf. Collins wanted to continue playing sports in college but decided to focus on golf because he was the most passionate about it and because it is less travel-intensive than other sports, which gives Collins more time to study.
Unfortunately, many students are unaware of the golf team, which can be overshowed by other sports such as basketball and volleyball. Throughout Collins’ athletic career, he’s told new students that he is a golf team member, only to hear they didn’t know WWU had a golf team.
He said, “It’s hard because basketball and volleyball have a home gym. It’s easy to go watch a volleyball game. But with our tournaments, they’re in Idaho, they’re in Oregon, [and] they’re all around Washington. Only once do we play on our home course, which is 10 minutes away, and even then, you aren’t going to get any students to come out.” [2] The golf team has tried to boost awareness by creating an Instagram page.
Both Scully and Collins think that the community aspect of their team is special, with Collins insisting it’s a family.
References
Interview with Breanna Scully, 5/9/2023.
Interview with Bryson Collins, 5/12/2023.
Photos
Bryson Collins takes a swing.
Bryson Collins is a senior business major and team member.
