Bridgett Norwood announces retirement from Trojan golf program

Janea Snyder — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 15:39:04 +0000

Trojan women’s golf head coach Bridgett Norwood announced her retirement on April 22 after being a part of the program for more than 25 years.

Norwood has been the head coach of the since 2003 and has been associated with the department since the program started in 1992, serving in both assistant coach and volunteer assistant roles. During her time with the Trojans, Norwood has helped mentor nearly two dozen All-Sun Belt Conference players.

A nationwide search for Little Rock’s next head women’s golf coach will begin immediately.

“This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life to be able to be a part of this program and coach these young women,” Norwood said. “I’m incredibly grateful I was given this opportunity to be able to build those relationships, and this decision is very bittersweet. Little Rock Athletics will always be a special place for me.”

Under Norwood’s guidance, Little Rock captured 11 team tournament championships and 19 individual tournament titles, including three Sun Belt Conference tournament champions in Mallory Fraiche (2009), Stina Resen (2015), and Shania Berger (2016).

Twenty-six of Norwood’s golfers picked up All-Sun Belt Conference honors, including 23 of which were first team honorees. Additionally, she recruited and mentored the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Golfer (Stina Resen) and Freshman (Sabrina Bonanno) of the Year, as well as All-American Sara Wikstrom, the first Trojan women’s golfer to enter the Little Rock Hall of Fame.

“I am personally grateful for the many years of service Bridgett has given to our golf program,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque. “Over the years, she has not only grown our women’s golf program, but she has made a significant impact on our young women and their families. The Norwoods are synonymous with Little Rock golf, and this department will forever be grateful for their many contributions.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Women’s golf has consistently remained in the mix in tournaments across the country. Little Rock finished in the top five at the Sun Belt Conference Championship 10 times from 2003-2019, including runner-up finishes in both 2008 and 2009 while placing third in 2010, 2011, and 2015. During Norwood’s time as head coach, Little Rock finished in the top 10 among the team standings in nearly 80 percent of the tournaments it competed in.

The Trojans have not only been successful on the golf course, but also in the classroom. Little Rock regularly has been recognized by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association for its academic accomplishments, placing five Trojans on the All-American Scholars Team four times in the last five seasons.

Additionally, Norwood has been an instrumental part in the success of the Trojans’ annual Little Rock Women’s Golf Classic at Diamante Country Club in Hot Springs Village. A tournament that routinely is referred to as one of the favorites by opposing teams, Norwood organizes the effort which involves dozens of area volunteers, as well as host families for the competing teams to stay with during the tournament.

Norwood will continue to serve as the tournament’s director. She and her husband Wyn, Little Rock’s former men’s coach and Trojan Hall of Fame inductee, will continue in their roles as ambassadors for the Little Rock golf program.

Norwood has been active in the Arkansas women’s golf circle for more than 25 years, including serving on the Executive Committee of the Arkansas Women’s Golf Association. She bolsters an impressive playing career herself as past champion at both North Hills Country Club and Chenal Country Club, where she claimed the title in 1997, 2000, and 2001.

Bonanno’s experience as a student-athlete builds skills for successful future

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 13:34:04 +0000

Sabrina Bonanno, a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and four-year veteran of the Trojans , has been playing golf for as long as she can remember. Bonanno began playing golf with her father at the age of 3. One month later and the toddler/rising golf star already had her first golf coach. However, Bonanno said she didn’t get “serious” about golf until she was 6 or 7 and began playing in tournaments. “Most kids got to play with their friends, but I got to play at the golf course,” Bonanno said. “During my junior year at Ridgewood Community High School in Norridge, Illinois, I started looking at schools to play golf, and I really wanted to go south. I liked Little Rock from the moment I stepped on campus and met my coach.” Bridgett Norwood, head coach of the Women’s Golf Team, became a mentor and guide for Bonanno, who was living away from home for the first time. “Coach Norwood really cared about how far you could go with your own game,” Bonanno said. “She cared about education. She helped me grow as a person and an athlete. She became like a second mom to me since we were all so far away from home.” As a student-athlete, Bonanno had the opportunity to travel and challenge her skills as a competitor. “During my freshman year, I won an individual tournament alongside a team win and that was one of my ultimate favorite experiences as a student-athlete,” Bonanno said. “We went to Utah the first semester of my senior year, and it was nice to experience a different place and culture. I constantly got to travel and experience these things with my best friends on the team.” Bonanno and fellow members of the golf team give back to the community by volunteering as assistant coaches at Central Arkansas First Tee and at charity golf tournaments. She was also a member of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which offers input on the rules, regulations, and policies that affect student-athletes. Although Bonanno is no longer eligible to play collegiate golf, she plans to volunteer with the team as a graduate student.

Sabrina Bonanno ends her Trojan career as a second team All-Sun Belt Conference selection.

“We have two golf tournaments. Coach Norwood doesn’t have an official assistant coach, so I want to help her plan those tournaments. I always want to give back to the golf team,” she said. “I can also practice with the team, and it’s a good opportunity for me to be involved in something I already missed.” In May, Bonanno was named a second team All-Sun Belt Conference selection. It was the third all-conference honor of Bonanno’s time as a Trojan, capping her stellar career in Little Rock. Bonanno ends her Little Rock career making quite a mark on the Trojan record book, ranking third all-time in career scoring average (75.76) as well as career rounds played (120). She ranks second all-time in career birdies (250) and is tied for first in career eagles (five), finishing among the individual top-20 in 30 of her 41 events played. One of the things she misses the most about being a student-athlete is the closeness of her golf family. “My coach and everyone associated with the golf team worked together as a big family,” Bonanno said. “The Athletics Department staff was great at getting someone if I needed help with school or needed someone to talk to. We were always, always together. We were all like sisters, and it was so sad to see the girls who graduated because it’s like you lost a family member. That’s the hard part about being on a team. You always look forward to meeting up with them afterwards.” Bonanno graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She is spending the summer getting some professional experience as a marketing intern at The Hill Group in Franklin Park, Illinois, before returning to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the fall as a Master of Business Administration student and graduate assistant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.

Coach Bridgett Norwood and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock women’s golf team

“I am hoping for some potential opportunities to work in Little Rock in the sporting industry, specifically golf, and maybe try to play some golf tournaments,” she said. “It’s always been a goal of mine to play professional, but if that didn’t work out, I would still play as many amateur tournaments as I could.” After she completes her MBA, Bonanno definitely has a future in golf in mind, even it’s not as a professional athlete. “Coaching golf has definitely crossed my mind. It’s just another way for me to be involved in the game,” she said. “Seeing the opportunity I got, I would love to give another girl the opportunity to say the same thing, and I would probably try to stay at the collegiate level because you get to recruit students from all over the world and get the best out there.” In the end, Bonanno credits ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for making her a better person. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has definitely made me the person I am at this moment in time,” she said. “I was 10 hours from home, so I had to become an independent person. It made me more outgoing. I started traveling to other states and doing things that I wouldn’t if I lived at home. I realized what other opportunities were out there that were provided by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I formed a network of opportunities and everything that goes along with that.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Bridgett Norwood announces retirement from Trojan golf program

Bonanno’s experience as a student-athlete builds skills for successful future

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock