On her way to winning the Greer Trophy as Georgian
College's Female Athlete of the Year in her first year as
a Georgian student (2019-20), Rachael Rier made an
immediate impact on the college's golf team.
In her Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA)
debut, the Hanover native won the first invitational
golf tournament she competed in during the Fanshawe
Invitational, had a second-place individual finish at the
Niagara Invitational, a third-place finish at the Georgian
Invitational and a third-place finish at the Lakehead-
Orillia Invitational.
At the OCAA Championships, Rachael and her
teammate Kristen Butterfield earned a bronze medal
as a team while Rachael also finished in fourth place
individually. At the Canadian Colleges Athletic
Association (CCAA) National Golf Championships in
Quebec in October 2019, she and Kristen finished in
fourth place as a team and Rachael also finished in
eighth place in Canada.
"My favourite moment of the season would have to
be travelling to Montreal for nationals," she recalls.
"Travelling for tournaments has always been one of
my favourite things, and it's a fun way to experience
different parts of the country. It was my first time in
Montreal and we had a great time that week. Being the
top-placing female golfer from Ontario was also a nice
way to finish the week."
Rachael was named the 2019-20 Female Athlete of
the Year at a virtual awards presentation on April 30,
2020. As honoured as she was to win, she was equally
excited that one of her idols, LPGA golf superstar Lexi
Thompson, announced her as the winner via video.
"Having Lexi Thompson present the award was an
amazing surprise," says Rachael. "She's always been one
of my idols so it was surreal to have her say a few words.
Chris, Jeff and everyone at Georgian did a great job of
putting on the virtual awards banquet for us, and I'm
grateful they were able to get Lexi involved to make that
moment extra special."
To see a full listing of the 2019-20 award recipients or to
learn more about Georgian's athletics programs, visit
GeorgianGrizzlies.ca.
40 GEORGIANVIEW 2021 SPRING
GRIzzLY ATHLETICS
THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED
Rachael Rier, 2019-20 Female Athlete of the Year
