Danbury grad Stephens competes in NCAA tourney

Kamil Stephens knew she had to do better. The Danbury graduate and Mount Union sophomore struggled through the first round of the recent NCAA Division III national golf championships, finishing with a 93. She bounced back in the second round with a 7-over 79, finishing her season at the highest level. "Golfing at the national level has been a dream of mine since high school," Stephens said. "My freshman year, it was within reach, but my team and I just fell short. Since that feeling in the spring of my first year, my team and I were dead-set on making it next year. We worked countless hours to improve all the areas we all struggled with individually. "It was such a surreal experience to be able to tell family and friends that I got to golf at the highest level collegiately because my team and I worked so, so hard to make it." The first day was tough, but she said it was one of the worst rounds she's ever played in when it came to the weather. The NCAA delayed the tournament for three hours for the rain to hopefully clear at the Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg, Virginia. "The first day I carded one of the highest scores I have shot all year," Stephens said. "I didn't think rain could come down as hard as it was that evening. The greens were literally puddled with water. But I knew I had to push through and finish my round. I was not able to get off the tee that day, which set me up for a tough second shot. It was also definitely the easier of the two courses as well, and I did not play the best. "I knew going into the second round I just needed to slow down and focus on my tee shots and putting." Comparing the two days, Stephens was already 15 over after the first nine holes on the first day. On the second day, she birdied hole No. 9 to make the turn at 3 over par. Stephens had to be mentally strong to not let one tough round turn into two. "That's what the game is all about," Stephens said. "I started the round off confidently, even if I did bogey a couple holes here and there. I knew I could birdie some of the par 5s on the second nine. I think mentally I was just in a much better position than I was the day before because I did not have to worry about the weather and nerves of playing at the highest tournament stage. "I was putting so much better and making better contact with the ball." Just a few weeks prior, Stephens was part of the Ohio Athletic Conference champions for the Purple Raiders. Stephens shot an 8-over 80 in the first round to set the tone for a championship. Mount Union won the four-day tournament by just two strokes over Ohio Northern to qualify for the NCAA tourney. Stephens said while most people think of golf as an individual sport, you play for more than yourself. "The season as a whole is one that I will never forget," Stephens said. "I have the best team and love playing with girls that support me and believe in me, even when I didn't believe in myself at some points in the season. I played for my teammates. There were some downs in the season where I was unsure if I was going to be able to help our team win the OAC and my game was not clicking. "But, my family and teammates were always there to push me and made sure I got the help I needed." Stephens has two more years of her collegiate career remaining. After the summer, the hope is to pick up where Mount Union left off and be even better next year. "I am excited to be working with two teammates that are returning that are my year," Stephens said. "Unfortunately, we did graduate two seniors that made a lasting impact on the team, but we are hoping to get better and improve for next spring to go back to the national championship. From now until the fall, I will be playing in various Northern Ohio PGA tournaments and going to the practice holes to work on my short game." Stephens said there are similarities and differences when it comes to college golf. "I find myself wanting to practice and push myself more now that I am playing in college, even though I am very busy with school and extracurriculars," Stephens said. "I think playing with the men's team as well has increased my competitiveness and drive to get better. It is fun playing with and against them. The bar is higher in college — better skill, lower scores." She said playing golf in college has been one of the best decisions she could have made for her future. "It has been such a blessing to find people that enjoy playing the sport I love and wanting to push each other to be better," Stephens said. "I love the atmosphere my team brings and I am excited about the new freshmen coming in. Our coach is also now putting us into higher-ranked tournaments that are out of state, like Texas, Georgia and North Carolina. This will allow our team to compete against some of the highest ranked teams in the country."