Class of 2020
The inaugural season for the Wesleyan women’s golf team came to an end before it ever really began, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cardinals competed in the fall but never had a chance to play the spring portion of their schedule. Two seniors, Alexis Banquer and Saadia Naeem, were committed to getting the program off the ground while Naeem played an instrumental role in the development of Wesleyan women’s golf. We would like to thank and honor Alexis and Saadia for their commitment, to not only the sport, but the University as well.
Alexis Banquer
Alexis joined the program after three years with the women’s ice hockey team. She will start a full-time job in August with Booz Allen Hamilton, working specifically in health care consulting for the Center of Medicaid/Medicare account. While at Wesleyan, Alexis served as a member of the Wesleyan Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and became a certified member of the Student-Athlete Support Network. Alexis helped to establish a partnership between Wesleyan Athletics and the Headway Foundation, a nonprofit organization for concussion awareness. All student-athletes at Wesleyan participate in various Concussion Awareness Weekend (CAW) events. Outside of athletics, Alexis served as a student mentor/tutor in the Wesleyan Foster Care Support Project and was a volunteer for the Food Rescue Project.
“Alexis possessed the maturity and determination to adjust to the slower pace of golf compared to ice hockey in a very short period of time. Her work ethic was evident in our practice sessions with steady improvement. Learning on the fly at the collegiate level provided a unique perspective and I was very impressed with Alexis’ determination to compete and represent Wesleyan. Alexis will be missed!” | Head Coach Jon Wilson
Saadia Naeem
Saadia is a senior from Scarsdale, New York. As a freshman and sophomore, she was the only female member of Wesleyan’s then-coed golf team. During that time, she traveled solo to play in women's tournaments as an individual and participated in the men's golf Little Three's against Amherst and Williams in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2018, she helped win Wesleyan's first point in the modern era at the Little Three Championships alongside her partner Elliot Witdorchic '20. In the fall of 2019, Saadia was named captain of the women's golf team in its inaugural season. The formation of the team is one of her proudest accomplishments as a Wesleyan Cardinal, and she cannot wait to see it continue to grow under the unparalleled leadership of Head Coach Jon Wilson. Saadia excelled academically as well. She majored in Government and minored in Chemistry, and earned recognition on the NESCAC All-Academic Team all three times she was eligible. She was also named to the Dean's list twice (Spring 2018, Spring 2019), and was awarded the 2020 Rich Prize which honors two seniors whose in-class participation is considered to be of unusually high quality amongst their peers. Off the course, Saadia was the managing editor of the student blog Wesleying.org and president of Shakti, Wesleyan's South Asian Student Coalition, during her senior year.
Simply said, Saadia is a force, the driving force behind the establishment and foundation for the Women's Golf Program. Saadia's two years with the program was challenging and exciting. The challenge was fielding a team for competition. The varsity commitment is very different from a club sport. Recruiting from current, on campus students and convincing them of the commitment was a task that Saadia embraced. Leadership, attitude, sportsmanship to her teammates and our competitors was on point everyday. Student athletes are unique individuals who possess a certain intangible quality to excel in all areas. Saadia was living proof and I know her teammates were very much aware and bought into her leadership! Saadia will be sorely missed, however, I look forward to her next chapter in life. I also know that as a Women's Golf Team and Wesleyan alumna we will have many opportunities to reconnect in Saadia's continued support and inspiration." | Head Coach Jon Wilson