One shot at a time
by Jenna Niederkrom (M.B.A.’ 26)
Taylor Wilczek (B.S. ’26), an Exercise and Sport Science graduate now pursuing her Master of Business Administration at St. Mary’s University, wasn’t thinking about school records when she took to the 18th fairway in May’s NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship.
She wasn’t thinking about history.
She wasn’t even thinking about reaching second place in the nation.
Walking down the fairway, Wilczek focused on one thing: the next shot.
Around her, teammates, coaches and families gathered near the final green. Live leaderboards updated in real time. The pressure of an entire season rested on the closing holes.
Instead of looking ahead, she looked down at the ball.
“The biggest thing for me this year was just accepting what happened and letting it go,” Wilczek said. “Golf is golf. You’re either going to play well, or you’re not. Control what you can control.”
That mindset carried Wilczek to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship, the highest individual finish in St. Mary’s University Women’s Golf history. It capped a historic season for Wilczek and the Rattlers, who claimed their first Lone Star Conference Championship before advancing to the NCAA Championship, where Wilczek’s performance placed her among the nation’s elite.
In July, the Men’s Golf team had its own accolade to celebrate when Kongpop Kaikaew became the first-ever Men’s Golfer to be named to the 2025-2026 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Division II at-large team.
Yet, ask Wilczek what changed this season, and she won’t start with scores.
She’ll talk about patience.
“Golf always teaches you lessons,” she said. “You either get a reward, or you learn a lesson.”
That shift transformed her confidence in addition to her game. Kelvin Wu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Exercise and Sport Science, supervised Wilczek’s field experience practicum. He said the qualities behind her success as a golfer are also evident in the classroom.
“Her discipline, mental focus, emotional composure and capacity for self-regulation are evident in both settings,” Wu said. “Golf requires intense precision and resilience, traits Taylor mirrors in the classroom through methodical problem-solving, sustained focus during complex topics and a steady, goal-oriented mindset.”
Finding a home at St. Mary’s
For Wilczek, transferring to St. Mary’s after her freshman year meant looking for the opportunity to compete at a higher level more than 900 miles from home in Arizona. She found a program building momentum and a team that quickly became family.
She credits Director of Golf Connor McCarthy and the culture of the program for creating an environment in which players felt supported.
That support extends beyond the Women’s Golf team. From professors to academic advisers to fellow student-athletes, Wilczek said she has always felt surrounded by people who want to see one another succeed.
McCarthy has watched that growth unfold over Wilczek’s two years at St. Mary’s, particularly in the consistency and maturity she brings to the course.
“We always knew Taylor had the ability to play exceptional golf,” McCarthy said. “Through her skill development and maturity, her consistency has drastically improved. She has become a ‘player to watch’ every single tournament.”
Building a future beyond golf
As Wilczek looks toward what comes after collegiate golf, the same focus that shaped her historic season is helping her build a future that reaches beyond the course.
Her interest in exercise science started long before college after watching a trainer help injured athletes regain confidence and return to the sports they loved. Today, that same desire to help others continues to shape her academic goals as she builds on her Exercise and Sport Science education through the Greehey School of Business MBA Program.
Wu said Wilczek has distinguished herself through her ability to connect what she learns in the classroom with real-world application, while balancing the demands of collegiate athletics.
Taylor Wilczek (B.S. ’26)“The biggest thing for me this year was just accepting what happened and letting it go. Golf is golf. You’re either going to play well, or you’re not. Control what you can control.”
“Taylor models the ideal student-athlete work ethic,” Wu said. “Despite the extensive travel, practice schedules, and competition demands of collegiate golf, she remains remarkably organized and proactive.”
Still, golf remains part of the plan. This past summer, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and earned recognition from Titleist and FootJoy after finishing among the nation’s top-ranked collegiate golfers.
No matter where the game takes her next, she’ll carry the lesson that defined the most successful season of her career.
“Until you do something, you don’t realize it’s possible,” she said.
Because sometimes the biggest victories don’t come from chasing perfection. They come from trusting the next shot.
