Chico State Women’s Golf Coach Heather Fegley takes a broad approach when recruiting student-athletes to her program. She keeps close tabs on standout prep golfers throughout the state while fielding nearly daily calls and emails from potential student-athletes eager to join Chico State. 

Even so, she was surprised—and intrigued—when a high schooler from Slidell, Louisiana (just northeast of New Orleans) contacted her, expressing a desire to play collegiate golf in Northern California. 

Ariana Blagrove, as it turns out, wasn’t just any high school golfer. At Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, she enjoyed a decorated career, earning three-time team MVP honors and numerous individual regional and state accolades while leading her team to back-to-back Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division II state titles in 2022 and 2023. She had immersed herself in the game through the First Tee program in New Orleans, where she got a taste for competitive golf as well as volunteered extensively and coached junior golfers. Through First Tee, Blagrove was one of 78 youth golfers nationwide selected to compete at the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach, where she played alongside PGA Champions Tour member John Huston and learned valuable insights from the pro. 

Blagrove told Fegley her parents were relocating to the Sacramento area, and she was looking for a Northern California school to play collegiate golf. Blagrove looked at other schools in the region, but it was an easy decision to become a Wildcat after a campus tour and a glowing recommendation from a close family friend who is a proud alum. 

“Ari was one of those recruits with a too–good-to-be-true story that actually worked out,” said Fegley. “We were thrilled to get her and it actually opened the doors for more out-of-state golfers joining the program.” 

Since Blagrove signed, Fegley has added Alexis Elliot from Wichita, Kansas and Lillian Crays from Plainfield, Indiana to the program. 

Blagrove battled through her first year as she got used to being a college freshman and learned the subtle differences on and around the greens between Louisiana and California golf courses. She competed in all seven tournaments, capping the season with a career-best round of 76 on the final day of the CCAA Championships, where she finished 17th out of 30 players. 

Now a sophomore majoring in health services administration with a minor in business administration, Blagrove has formed strong bonds with her teammates and embraced her new environment. 

“I love the calm atmosphere here compared to New Orleans,” she said. “It’s been a perfect place for me to grow as a student and a golfer.” 

Along with hitting it straight and long with her driver, Blagrove notes keeping calm on the course as a strength of her game. She practices five days a week during the off-season and she played numerous rounds at home over winter break with a focus on improving her short game. Her goals for the upcoming season are matter of fact: hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation and have no more than 31 putts per round. 

Fegley, when asked about her expectations for Blagrove, is looking at the big picture. “There’s no reason Ari can’t be the best player in the program by the time she graduates,” she said.  

Blagrove joins a team led by senior Trinity Hernandez, junior Brooke Pelletier, and sophomore Kaylie Parola. The program’s collective goal is to finish in the top three in four out of five spring tournaments—a challenging feat in the increasingly competitive CCAA.  

“We have 10 golfers on the team this year and the younger golfers are really pushing our veterans,” said Fegley. “That extra depth and pressure to secure the four tournament spots will help us when we compete.”

Blagrove took up golf at 10 years old to bond with her father and brother. She credits her success to her high school golf coach Kyle Albright and her time with the Rob Noel Golf Academy in Abita Springs, Louisiana for helping her with her swing and her confidence. She learned to deal with on-the-course pressure when she joined First Tee of Greater New Orleans, a non-profit, youth-development organization that teaches life skills and helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf. She worked with junior golfers helping them improve as well as teaching them about golf rules, etiquette, and history.

“I loved giving lessons to the kids and showing them different games to improve,” said Blagrove. “I actually volunteered at First Tee Sacramento when I first got to California because I really missed by job,”

Blagrove also spent 15 years in Girl Scouts and earned the Girl Scout Gold Award (the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can get) for organizing a book drive that collected and distributed over 800 books sorted by genre to Brock Elementary School in Slidell.  

After graduation, she plans to get her masters in health services administration with a goal of pursuing a career in the healthcare industry. She also isn’t ruling out teaching golf in some capacity, particularly if she can work with young golfers.  

As the Wildcats begin their 2025 season, Blagrove’s journey from Louisiana to Chico State is a testament to her persistence, adaptability, and a love for the game. And for Fegley, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the most unexpected connections can lead to incredible opportunities.

(Blagrove and the Chico State Women’s Golf Team start their spring season at the Cal State LA Spring Kickoff on February 3-4. Wildcat fans can follow along via ChicoWildcats.com)

Andrew focuses on enhancing the University’s brand reputation, managing crisis communications and proactively telling the Chico State story. He earned his BA in Journalism from Chico State in 2000.