Several firsts marked this spring’s Atlantic-10 championships for UR athletes. The women's golf team won the first ever A-10 Championship and the men's lacrosse team earned their first A-10 regular-season conference title and the A-10 conference tournament title. The women's tennis team finished the year with its most wins since 2009.

"Spiders everywhere are proud of the outstanding results achieved by so many of our teams this spring," said John Hardt, vice president and director of athletics. "This level of competitive excellence is a product of the hard work of our student-athletes, the intense preparation of our coaches and staff, and the generous support of our many fans, friends, alumni. Congratulations to all those who played a role in the success of our Spiders!"

Spiders clinch first-ever A-10 conference title in women’s golf

The women’s golf team took home the championship title during the A-10s inaugural women’s golf season.

The three-day championship teed off on April 17 at Evermore Resort in Orlando, Florida, and featured six teams. Despite being a preseason favorite for the title, the Spiders finished the first round in the middle of the pack behind Loyola University Chicago and University of Dayton. Junior Olivia Wilkie led the team with a score of 75, or 3 over par, and tied for second overall.

“We had a tough first day as a team. We didn’t play our best, but there was no doubt in my mind that we could come back and make up the ground we had lost. I knew it was only a matter of time before we would find our rhythm again,” Wilkie said. “In some ways, I’m almost glad we had a rough start. It helped us refocus and become even hungrier to attack the next two days.”

Head coach Calle Barlow said a team meeting the first night helped the athletes regroup and reverse their 13-stroke deficit. “I told them we did not have to make it all up in one day but to be patient,” she said. “That is exactly what they did. They played more freely in rounds 2 and 3.”

The Spiders started the third day of play just 5 strokes behind the leader, Loyola, and by the last nine holes, had fully closed the gap. That’s when the team scored a series of birdies, coming in one under par on several holes to take an 8-stroke lead. Richmond’s final-round score was the lowest of the entire tournament.

Junior Hannah Lydic closed out the tournament with a challenging up-and-down from the back bunker that also secured her position as the tournament’s individual title winner. Lydic has won three tournament titles during her time at Richmond, the most in program history. She is also the third Spider to take first place individually in a conference match. 

“It was such a special moment for us to be the first-ever A-10 champs and I’m excited to see how this program continues to grow,” Barlow said. “We would not be where we are without the hard work of each and every one of the women on the team. In each practice and gym session, they pushed each other to be better.”

Men’s lacrosse wins the A-10 championships and heads to NCAA tournament