SAN DIEGO -- Leslie Spalding, who has led San Diego State to seven consecutive NCAA regional appearances and two Mountain West titles, announced today that she is retiring as the head women's golf coach at SDSU.
In her 10 seasons on The Mesa, Spalding guided the Aztecs to eight regional bids in nine chances (the 2020 postseason was canceled because of COVID) and had San Diego State representation in all nine NCAA regionals (SDSU had three individuals compete in the 2013 NCAA Norman Regional). Prior to Spalding's arrival at San Diego State for the 2011-12 season, the Aztecs had made the NCAA Regionals just five times in the 19 years since the regionals format began in 1993.
In addition to the two MW titles (2015 (the first in program history) and 2019) under her watch, SDSU also finished runner-up four times at the MW Championship.
Under Spalding's direction, SDSU has recorded 44 top-five placements and 11 event titles, while her players have earned 23 all-MW honors, collected 17 weekly/monthly awards from the league office and captured six MW major awards, including three MW Golfers of the Year and three MW Freshmen of the Year. In addition, the Aztecs have posted the nine lowest single-season team scoring averages in program history during her tenure.
Not to be outdone, Spalding's players have excelled in the classroom, garnering 29 all-academic accolades and 16 scholar-athlete certificates from the MW to go with 10 WGCA Scholar All-America recipients.
"Leslie set a remarkable level of excellence in all areas," SDSU athletic director John David Wicker said. "Her teams competed for conference championships and advanced to NCAA tournament play an incredible seven consecutive seasons. Her student-athletes shined off the course as well both in the classroom and as citizens. Leslie's impact on those individuals who played for her will be felt for decades to come."
A national search for Spalding's replacement will begin immediately.
This past season, SDSU made another NCAA Regional, competing at Stanford earlier this month. Sara Kjellker became Spalding's third MW Golfer of the Year and captured medalist honors at the MW Championship after defeating New Mexico's Lauren Lehigh in a playoff. It was the first individual title for Kjellker, who had a pair of runner-up finishes this season. Kjellker also became San Diego State's third MW individual champion, all of which happened over the last four tournaments (also Fernanda Escauriza in 2017 and Mila Chaves in 2018). Kjellker also earned all-MW honors for a fourth time.
The Aztecs were off to a solid start in 2019-20 before the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cut the season short. SDSU posted three top-5 finishes in the fall before winning the Lamkin Invitational in the spring, downing San José State, 3-2, in the final of match play.
Despite the loss of three key seniors, including reigning MW individual champion Mila Chaves, San Diego State regrouped with aplomb under Spalding's guidance during the 2018-19 campaign, as the Scarlet and Black claimed its second conference title in five years.
In 2017-18, SDSU came within one shot of advancing to the national championship series for the first time in school history after tying for seventh place at the NCAA San Francisco Regional. The Aztecs also boasted the individual medalist at the MW Championship for the second year in a row after Chaves claimed a one-shot victory.
In 2016-17, Spalding oversaw the development of newcomer Escauriza, who became the program's very first individual conference champion en route to earning MW Freshman of the Year honors. The Aztecs captured two team titles, successfully defending their crown at the Golfweek Conference Challenge before taking home the top prize at the Meadow Club Invitational.
Spalding led the Aztecs to a banner season in 2015-16, with the Scarlet and Black posting top-five finishes in six of 10 events, highlighted by consecutive victories at the Golfweek Conference Challenge and the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational. With those results, San Diego State rocketed to the No. 13 spot nationally in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings during the fall schedule. In addition, the Aztecs made a run at their second straight conference championship, landing in the runner-up position at the MW tournament before receiving a berth in the NCAA Stanford Regional. Individually, Spalding was instrumental in the rise of Emma Henrikson, who was named MW Player of the Year and became the program's first All-American after receiving honorable mention from the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). Henrikson, who graduated in 2016, set a team record for lowest single-season stroke average (71.96) and collected first-team all-MW honors for the fourth year in a row.
In 2014-15, Spalding led the Aztecs to arguably their finest season school history, highlighted by the program's first ever MW championship. Despite a roster with three freshmen and a schedule replete with high-level competition, SDSU posted six top-five team finishes in nine events, winning team titles at the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic, Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown and the aforementioned conference tournament. For her efforts, Spalding was named MW Coach of the Year. As a team, the Aztecs climbed as high as 12th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings before finishing the year at No. 26 on the heels of an 11th-place showing at the NCAA St. George Regional.
Spalding's squad completed another successful season in 2013-14, logging top-five finishes in six of eight tournaments, including a team title at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown and a second-place tie at the MW Championship. In addition, the Aztecs secured another postseason bid with a trip to the NCAA West Regionals in Cle Elum, Wash.
Under Spalding's guidance during the 2012-13 campaign, Henrikson, Paige Spiranac and Christine Wong received individual bids to the NCAA Central Regional Championships.
In her first year at the helm of the Aztecs in 2011-12, Spalding led SDSU to its third consecutive NCAA regional bid and a third-place finish at the MW Championships, its highest performance at the event in a decade. Overall, the team posted top-five performances in six tournaments and claimed a title at the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate in early October by overcoming a 10-stroke deficit with just 18 holes to play. Individually, Spalding helped Wong become the first Aztec to be named the MW Women's Golfer of the Year.
Spalding played on the LPGA Tour from 1996 to 2005, competing in 215 events and earning more than $600,000 in prize money. She recorded seven top-10 finishes, including a career-best third-place showing at the 2001 ShopRite LPGA Classic, when she carded a career-low 64 in the final round. The Billings, Mont., native also tallied back-to-back top-10 performances in 2002 at the LPGA Corning Classic and the Kellogg-Keebler Classic, and came in sixth at the 2000 LPGA Corning Classic and the 1998 Weetabix Women's British Open.
Spalding began her professional playing career in 1992, competing on both the Futures and Gold Coast Tours before earning exempt status for the LPGA Tour for the first time in 1996. Most recently, Spalding competed in the 2019 U.S. Senior Open, tying for 38th in the 120-player field.
Following her stint on the LPGA Tour, Spalding was named the head women's golf coach at Montana State in the fall of 2007. On the course, she helped Kelly Gillum become the second women's golfer to capture the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year award in 2008-09. Off the course, Spalding helped raise over $100,000 to support the Bobcat golf program and created the team's 19th Hole Booster Club.
As a collegian, Spalding attended Alabama from 1987 to 1991, winning a pair of tournaments - 1990 Neva McCall/Alabama Intercollegiate and the 1991 Women's Southern Intercollegiate - before earning her bachelor's degree in telecommunication/film in 1992.