Ela Simpson played three seasons of varsity golf at Broadneck High and placed fourth among girls at the Anne Arundel County Championships as a senior in 2021.
Simpson planned to continue her career at Anne Arundel Community College, but discovered upon arrival that the golf team consisted entirely of men. After taking a year off, she was talked into joining the team and ended up making history.
Simpson recently became the first female All-American golfer in Anne Arundel Community College history.
Simpson played basketball and lacrosse at AACC as a freshman. But a chance meeting with golf coach Dave O’Donnell led Simpson to return to the sport she truly loves as a sophomore.
“I stumbled across Ela on campus earlier this year and mentioned that I was the golf coach. Ela responded that she played golf, so I asked her to join the team,” O’Donnell said. “Ela was all for it and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ I feel fortunate to have found her.”
Anne Arundel’s golf team is made up of nine men and two women, so Simpson primarily played as an individual during regular season meets and tournaments. She was forced to play from the men’s tees along with the rest of the team.
“Ela had a great season and was kind of overshadowed by the fact we had such a strong team,” O’Donnell said. “I’d say she finished in the upper-middle half of most tournaments as an individual. She was shooting in the low 90s and mid 80s all season.”
O’Donnell saw enough to know Simpson could do well in the postseason tournaments when she would be competing exclusively against women and he was spot on.
The Annapolis resident placed seventh at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championships, held June 4-7 at Chautauqua Golf Club in upstate New York.
“I think the big thing for Ela was that she got to play with some of the favorites in the tournament during the early rounds and realized she belonged on that level, so her confidence level rose as a result,” O’Donnell said. “Ela went out and showed what she is made of and really performed wonderfully the whole week.”
Simpson completed the four-day, 72-hole tournament with a total score of 371. She shot an 85 on the par-72 course in the opening round and fired a 92 in the third round to earn second team All-American honors.
“Being at a national championship as a solo [competitor] was a different experience. It’s strictly a one-woman show,” Simpson said. “I just played my game of golf and tried to be as smart as possible. I’m happy with the way I finished.”
Simpson qualified for the national tournament by capturing the Division III Region XX women’s championship. She destroyed the field at the Links at Spring Church in Apollo, Pennsylvania, finishing 24 strokes ahead of the runner-up.
Simpson was a member of Anne Arundel’s 2023 national championship team in lacrosse and the 2022 Region XX championship team in soccer. O’Donnell, a Baltimore resident in his third season as coach, is glad she gravitated back to golf.
“Golf is a true passion for Ela and she realized that was the sport she enjoyed the most,” O’Donnell said. “Ela is always a joy to be around on the golf course and has an incredible attitude.”
Simpson played from the men’s tees during the regular season and was routinely driving the ball 200 to 230 yards. O’Donnell knew that power would be a huge advantage when she moved up to the women’s tees for the regional and national tournaments.
“Ela’s length off the tee really sets her apart, but she has a really good all-around game. She has incredible distance control on the approach shots and her short game is above average,” he said. “I think her best skill on the golf course is an ability to stay positive and not let one shot get her down. She is able to regroup after bad shots and doesn’t make the mistakes that lead to big numbers.”
Simpson said she had no expectations going into the spring golf season and agreed with O’Donnell that mastery of the mental game was the key to postseason success. She has been recruited to play golf at Stevenson University and acknowledged the All-American recognition provided tremendous exposure.
Lacrosse All-Americans
AACC had three lacrosse players named All-Americans by the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Sophomore midfielder Sam Barrett represented the men’s lacrosse program as a second team All-American. The Crofton resident and South River graduate led the Riverhawks with 48 points on 35 goals and 13 assists. He produced multiple points in 10 of 11 games and amassed nine points in two contests.
Barrett, who completed his two-year career at AACC with 81 points, has been recruited to play at Division II Newberry College.
AACC men’s lacrosse had four other players named All-Region XX. Barrett was a first team selection, while sophomore attackman John McElhenny, freshman midfielder Trevor Murray and freshman goalie Parrish Fleming all made second team. Sophomore defender Jack Schiavone was an honorable mention pick.
McElhenny (South River High) totaled 40 points on the strength of 29 goals, Murray (Edgewater resident) was one of the region’s top faceoff specialists with 85 wins in 178 attempts, Fleming (AACS) recorded 147 saves and a .480 save percentage, while Schiavone (Southern) led the team with 24 caused turnovers.
On the women’s side, freshmen midfielders Grace Adkins and Ashlynn Deans both earned All-American laurels. Adkins, a Westminster resident and Winters Mill graduate, led Anne Arundel with 25 points on the strength of 22 goals. Deans, a Harwood native and Southern High alum, was right behind with 24 points on 22 goals.
Baseball honors
Anne Arundel baseball had four players named All-Region XX: sophomore second baseman John Greenawalt, freshman outfielder-pitcher Sam Ross, freshman infielder-pitcher Nicco Holland and sophomore utility man Alejandro Casanova.
Greenawalt, an Arundel High product, earned first team honors after leading the Riverhawks with a .450 batting average and .516 on-base percentage. The Odenton resident registered a hit in 43 of 53 games and ranked second on the squad with 34 RBIs.
Ross, a Crofton graduate, was a second team selection after starting all 53 games in the outfield and making 17 relief appearances on the mound. The Gambrills resident led Region XX and ranked fourth nationally with 48 stolen bases. He also led the region with nine saves and posted a 2.48 ERA coming out of the bullpen.
Holland (Mount St. Joseph) was also a second team pick after leading the Riverhawks in home runs (6), walks (41) and hit by pitch (13) on the way to posting a .466 on-base percentage.
Casanova hit .320 and led AACC with 11 doubles while splitting time between outfield, first base and designated hitter. The Annapolis resident had 11 multi-hit games and drove in 20 runs.
Anne Arundel baseball finished with a 28-25 record under fourth-year coach Nick Hoffner. It was the most wins for the Riverhawks since 2012.
Softball honors
Anne Arundel softball had three players named All-Region XX: sophomore designated hitter Kendall Thomas, sophomore outfielder Jayden Buchanan and freshman outfielder Addi Hurst.
Thomas was a repeat first team selection after leading AACC with a .473 batting average and .500 on-base percentage. The Chesapeake High product delivered 26 RBIs and struck out just twice in 91 at-bats. She made 19 starts as a pitcher and notched five wins with 50 strikeouts.
Hurst was a second team choice after posting a .434 batting average and leading Anne Arundel with 12 extra-base hits. The Broadneck High grad posted a .495 on-base percentage and four stolen bases.
Buchanan earned honorable mention after batting .362 with seven doubles and 18 RBIs. The Chesapeake High alum had 54 hits in 56 career games over two seasons.