Senior year was supposed to be golfer Erin Cahill’s chance to live out her final year on the course with the Bobcats.
At the end of last summer, however, the Hilliard, Ohio, native’s fall season ended before it even started.
Cahill injured her elbow in a biking accident, taking her out of fall play before she even arrived in Athens. Although others might have sulked, Cahill saw the positive.
“I was lucky in the fact that I play a sport that has two seasons, so when I knew I wasn’t going to be able to play in the fall, yeah it was a bummer,” Cahill said. “But … if I played football or volleyball, or all these other sports, you don’t get a second season so I felt I was lucky in a lot of ways.”
Because of the injury, Cahill was unable to participate in any of the fall events, but that didn’t keep her from being involved with the team.
“She didn’t miss a practice,” coach Kelly Ovington said. “She could putt with her right hand as much as she wanted, she was walking the golf course with the girls. She’s always stepped up as a leader.”
While many might ask why one would be heavily involved with the team without the ability to compete, for Cahill the answer was easy.
“I love my teammates, they’re just the best people and they’re my best friends,” she said.
Leadership and instruction weren’t the only things provided by the senior. Cahill always made sure that her teammates knew she was thinking about them.
“I would always try to do just little things just to show that while I can’t be in the van and I can’t play, I still wanted the girls to know that I support them and tell them to do their best without me,” she said.
Senior Jordan Fesh, one of Cahill’s teammates and best friends, explained how Cahill meant much more to the team then just a score on the weekend.
“Outside of golf she’s a very important friend to me, she’s probably one of the most reliable people I know and has made the entire college golfing experience a lot better for me,” Fesh said.
Taking advantage of a long period to rehabilitate her injury, Cahill made it back to the lineup in time for the spring season. She made her senior spring one of the best of her career, finishing in the top 50 in four events and in the top 10 twice.
Cahill’s season and career concluded over the weekend at the Mid-American Conference Championships with a 35th-place finish. Despite the low finish, Cahill said she was happy to be able to come back and play the spring season.
“It’s been awesome,” Cahill said. “To actually swing a club and to feel that contact it makes you remember why you put in the hours and why it was important to be a part of everything.”
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