Fifth student athlete awarded ‘Women Fore Women’ scholarship ahead of Aug. 9 tournament

MOOSE JAW — A fifth young athlete has joined the ranks of scholarship recipients through the Hillcrest Ladies Golf League’s “Women Fore Women” program, marking the largest total awarded in a single year since the initiative began.

Makaya Arnott, a recent graduate of Peacock Collegiate, was officially presented with a $5,000 scholarship after receiving confirmation of her invitation to compete with the University of Victoria’s swim team this fall.

Arnott joins previously announced recipients Katie Rogers, Mykenzie Shymko, Ellah Flanagan, and Leoncia White — all high-performance athletes from Moose Jaw now heading into post-secondary studies in their chosen sport.

“This year, we’re awarding five $5,000 scholarships, which is the most we’ve ever done,” said Deb Negraiff, chair of the scholarship committee, earlier. “We’re thrilled to be able to support these incredible young women as they continue to pursue their athletic and academic goals.”

Arnott’s presentation had been on hold until confirmation from the U of V swim team was received. Once accepted to the varsity swim team, she met all eligibility requirements for the Women Fore Women scholarship, which considers athletic excellence, academic effort, leadership, and community involvement.

The milestone comes just days ahead of this year’s Women Fore Women golf tournament, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Hillcrest Golf Club. The annual tournament serves as the primary fundraiser for the scholarship program, with funds raised going directly toward supporting female student-athletes in Moose Jaw.

Negraiff added that seeing five student athletes earn scholarships this year is a rewarding reflection of how much the program has grown.

“We started with one $500 scholarship,” she said. “To date, we’ve given out just over $50,000 in scholarships.”

Negraiff said excitement is already building for this year’s tournament, and confirmed that only eight spots remain open as of Aug. 1.

The Aug. 9 tournament features a 10 a.m. shotgun start at the Hillcrest Golf Club and is open to both members and non-members. Entry is $110 for Hillcrest members and $130 for non-members, with proceeds supporting next year’s scholarship recipients.

For more information about the Women Fore Women tournament or scholarship program, visit HillcrestGolf.ca or call the Hillcrest Golf Club at 306-693-1921.

The Hillcrest Golf Club is located at 1599 Main Street North.