Former UCS student athlete earns national recognition as collegiate golfer

A former Utica Community Schools student athlete was named a 2013-14 Women’s Golf Coaches Association Division I All-America Scholar.

Taylor Clark, a former state standout on the Utica High School golf team, earned the honor as a freshmen on the Rutgers University golf team.

Clark, who graduated in 2013 from the Utica Academy For International Studies, played in all 10 tournaments as a true freshman this past season, making an immediate impact, according to the Rutgers Web site.

In March, she carded a 238 (78-82-78) to finish tied for fifth in the 34-player field at the Monterey Bay (Calif.) Invitational, helping the Scarlet Knights to a third place finish. She was also the team’s top performer at the Kiawah Island Classic and the Central District Invitational this past spring.

The No. 3-ranked junior golf recruit from the state of Michigan when she arrived “On the Banks,” Clark qualified for the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in Norman, Okla.

Clark becomes the fourth women’s golfer under former head coach Maura Ballard to earn the honor, joining Lauren Huhnerkoch (‘08), Jeanne Waters (’10) and Elisa Mateer (’12).

The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.50.

On the Utica High School golf team, In her senior year, Clark maintained a 73.4 scoring average, the second lowest in the state.

Clark made an appearance in the Division 1 High School State Championships for four consecutive years, earning two top-10 finishes.

In her senior year, Clark was runner-up to the title with a 149 (74-75) in a field of 90. In the previous years, she had finished 6th as a junior, 12th as a sophomore and 13th as a freshman. Clark medaled at the Macomb County Invitational with a score of 69, tying the tournament record and setting a new school record as well.

In summer of 2012, Clark earned a 6th place finish at the PGA Junior Series. She also qualified for the Callaway Junior World Tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California.

In her time at Utica, Clark earned all-league, all-county, and all-academic all four years. She was selected to the All-State Dream Team as a senior, All-State as a junior and sophomore, and All-State Honorable Mention as a freshman. In her senior year, she earned Academic All-State Honorable Mention.