The Williams women's golf team, coached by Bill Kangas (also the men's hockey coach at the school) won its first national title on Friday.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — For Clarksburg native and former Williams golf coach Erika DeSanty, it was a moment six years in the making and one she'll never forget.

 

"I was watching them finish [Friday's NCAA Division III women's golf championship] on television, and as we see the team gather, they realize they've won, Sophie Kitchen has just signed her card and you see Shelby [Shote] grab her phone," DeSanty said on Saturday. "I look at my phone, and it says, 'We did it.'"

 

Shote, a senior captain, and her Williams College teammates on Friday did something no other Williams squad has done, winning a women's golf national title in just the 11th year of the program's existence.

 

DeSanty, who coached Williams for five of those years, was not with Williams in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., at least, not in body.

 

These days, she is the women's golf coach at Princeton University, where this year she led the Tigers to a fourth-place finish in the Ivy League.

 

But fortunately for DeSanty, the Ivy Championships were contested back in April, allowing her a little time last week to check in on the Ephs while at work on the recruiting trail.

 

"I'm not a parent, but I imagine feeling like a parent and watching your child blossom into something remarkable," she said of the experience. "Watching from afar and being completely amazed — I think that's how I felt."

 

And current Ephs coach Bill Kangas, who DeSanty describes as a "sounding board" during her time in Williamstown, was sure to mention the former coach on Friday.

 

"It's a tribute to all the coaches who came before and to Erika, who did an amazing job here and brought in some incredible kids," Kangas said. "She's a part of this as well."

 

DeSanty said she and Kangas both knew that she was leaving a heck of a team for him to shepherd, including honorable mention all-America selections Kitchen, a sophomore, and Phoebe Mattana, a freshman.

 

"Early on, I talked to coach Kangas, and he said, 'This is a group that is going to win a national championship,' " DeSanty said. "I said, 'Absolutely,' and we laughed about it."

 

The Ephs did not exactly come out of nowhere this spring. Williams finished in the top 10 nationally each of DeSanty's five seasons, including top-five finishes the last three years. In 2014, Williams finished third in the nation, its best showing ever, and senior Geogiana Salant earned all-America honors for a third time.

 

"We knew that to win the national championship, you needed five incredibly talented golfers — five who could ultimately be your best player at any moment — and you needed consistent play," DeSanty said.

 

"I think it was clear all along that what pushes this team over the edge is that belief and confidence and, obviously, the work ethic along the way."

 

DeSanty said things are going well in New Jersey, where her 2015 recruiting class includes Amber Wang, a Sugar Land, Texas, product who carded a 67 in March to earn an exemption to play at the LPGA's North Texas Shootout.

 

But the Drury High School graduate quickly steered the conversation away from herself and her current gig.

 

"I'm not at Princeton if not for Williams," she said. "Everyone should know that. I'm not at Princeton if not for all of the Williams athletes. … There are so many classes and so many people who contributed to this national championship.

 

"I'm just incredibly proud of that team."