BURNABY – Dana Smith of Campbell River, one of the top junior golfers in British Columbia, has signed National Letters of Intent to join the Simon Fraser University women's golf program in fall 2023, head coach Matt Steinbach announced today.
 
Dana Smith, Campbell River, BC / Carihi Secondary School
Height: 5'2"
Home Club: Storey Creek
 
Smith has a resume full of accomplishments. She's competed in the Canadian Women's Amateur and Canadian Junior Girls tournaments, and she's recorded multiple top 10 finishes in provincial tournaments. Smith has been crowned the North Island (zone 6) Junior Golfer of the Year four years in a row (2017-2021) after winning the tournament championship each year.
 
"Dana's a player we've had on our radar for a long time and we're absolutely thrilled she chose SFU," said Steinbach.  "She represents all the values we look for in our student athletes – competitive, loves golf, strong academically, and a great teammate.  She will have an immediate impact on our team both on and off the course."


 
Smith will join a golf program that's enjoying huge success as Canada's only NCAA women's golf program. The program recently added Kat Kennedy as a fulltime assistant coach and the team has won Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships in three of the past five years it's competed (SFU did not compete in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic), and in 2019, two SFU golfers competed in the NCAA Championships. SFU also hosts the only NCAA tournament held outside the United States each fall, the True North Classic.
 
"Both our golf teams are in a great place right now, both in performance and with the depth of our rosters," said Steinbach.  "This allowed us to be much more selective in the recruiting process and bring in players that met our criteria.  We know all of our recruits will integrate seamlessly into our program next fall and that they will also push to be in our top five."
 
A couple of Smith's personal highlights were shooting a personal best score and bogey-free 69 during BC Juniors and winning the Champion of Champions Tournament (2022) with a round of 69 that included seven birdies.
 
"I first picked up a golf club at the age of three when my parents managed a little par 3 golf course," said Smith. "I fell in love with the game and started playing competitively at the age of 11. Ever since then, golf has taken me to some amazing places. I have gone as far as Ontario and Nova Scotia to play in national level events."
 
"I love SFU's travel schedule and how they visit some very cool places around the United States."
 
The women's program recently competed in two tournaments in Hawaii and is planning an international trip to Scotland next year.
 
Smith is planning to study in the Beedie School of Business.
 
"During my visit to SFU, everyone was so kind and welcoming that it felt as though I was already part of the team," said Smith, the two-time Storey Creek Ladies Club champion. "I also love the nature around campus. It has beautiful views of the ocean, and walking through the trails was breathtaking."