Rebels rise up and go big during award season. The UNLV women’s golf team earned an impressive sweep of 2024-25 Mountain West honors as seniors Toa Yokoyama, Mayumi Umezu, and McKenzi Hall were recognized with All-Conference selections, and head coach Amy Bush-Herzer was named the league’s Coach of the Year. Yokoyama and Umezu received All-MW First Team accolades, while Hall was chosen for the Second Team.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Toa, Mayumi, and McKenzi,” said Bush-Herzer. “Their dedication, talent, and hard work throughout the season have been exceptional, and this honor is truly well-deserved. They represent the best of UNLV Women’s Golf, both on and off the course. Their achievements are a testament to their commitment and our team’s collective efforts.”
Hailing, from Tokyo, Japan, led the Mountain West in three statistical categories, finishing the season with a career-besy scoring average of 72.15, five top-five finishes, and six top-10 placements. A two-time All-MW selection, her standout performances included a runner-up result at Wisconsin’s Westbrook Invitational and three top-three finishes (MW Championship, San Diego State Classic, UNM’s Dick McGuire Invitational). She also recorded a personal-best tournament score of 12-under 204 and matched her lowest round score of 6-under 66 twice at the Wisconsin event.
Umezu, a native of Waimea, Hawai’i, ranked second in the conference with a career-best average of 72.33, collecting two top-five and four top-10 finishes. Her 2024-25 highlights included a second-place performance at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic and contributing to the team victory at Denver’s Ron Moore Intercollegiate. She also shot a personal-best 54-hole total of 9-under 207 at Denver and fired an 8-under 68 twice during the season (Moore Intercollegiate; Jim West Challenge).
Hall, who hails from Las Vegas and attended Centennial High School and Delta Academy, also ranked within the MW’s top 10 in scoring average (73.67), adding two top-five results to her season. Her top showings included a second-place finish at Texas State’s Jim West Challenge and a fifth-place result at Texas Tech’s Red Raider Invitational. She matched her career-best tournament score of 9-under 207 at Texas State and carded a season-low 66 twice (Jim West Challenge; Westbrook Invitational). Hall also sank a crucial 40-foot birdie putt on the final playoff hole to help clinch the Rebels’ Mountain West Championship.
Bush-Herzer collected her fourth MW Coach of the Year award, guiding UNLV to its eighth conference title and the fifth under her leadership. This season, the Rebels won the first-ever MW Championship playoff and compiled two team victories, seven top-two finishes, and a program-best single-round team score of 20-under 268 at the Westbrook Invitational.
2024-25 Mountain West All-Conference Teams
First Team
Kara Kaneshiro, So., Colorado State
Moa Andersson, So., San José State
Lucia Lopez Ortega, Sr., San José State
Mayumi Umezu, Sr., UNLV
Toa Yokoyama, Sr., UNLV
Second Team
Teal Matsueda, So., Boise State
Katelyn Lehigh, Jr., Fresno State
Gabby Kano, Jr., Nevada
Maria Garcia, Fr., New Mexico
McKenzi Hall, Sr., UNLV
2024-25 Mountain West Women’s Golf Awards
Golfer of the Year: Lucia Lopez Ortega, San Jose State
Freshman of the Year: Maria Garcia, New Mexico
Coach of the Year: Amy Bush-Herzer, UNLV