Black Hills State University women's golf head coach Craig Marsh has announced the signing of three incoming golfers for the 2023-24 season. Included in the signing class are three incoming freshmen.

"I am excited to welcome the signing class of 2023 to the Black Hills State women's golf team," Marsh said. "Each player will bring something different to the team both on and off the course. Myah, Ava, and McKinley all bring athleticism, tournament experience, strong academic records, and positive charisma to our already amazing group of young women. We could not be more excited about the future of Yellow Jacket golf."
 
Ava Kalanek
The first new signee and incoming Yellow Jacket is Ava Kalanek, a 5'4 soon-to-be freshman from Bismarck, North Dakota. Kalanek is currently attending Legacy High School where she spent all four years as a member of the women's varsity golf team. By the end of her senior season, she racked up two All-State selections and was a three-time All-Conference/All-Regional selection.
 
Kalanek served as a team captain during her freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons and was named an individual state tournament qualifier all four years, with her freshman qualification marking the first in LHS history. During her first season at Legacy, she averaged a stroke count of 90.
 
During her latter three seasons, her average stroke count dropped to 80 by her senior year. In Kalanek's senior campaign, she was a Western Dakota Association regional medalist, where she recorded the second lowest score in WDA regionals history (and lowest score in LHS history) with a score of 72.
 
Ava currently ranks 192^nd in her class with a 3.5 GPA and plans to study Business Management once she arrives on BHSU campus in the fall. She dreams of owning her own business one day.
 
Kalanek is the daughter of Karla and William Kalanek and the sister of Peyton Kalanek. Her mother, Karla, played tennis at MSU Moorhead.
 
Myah Hammerquist
Hailing from Gillette, Wyoming, Myah Hammerquist is an incoming 5'5 freshman that currently attends Campbell County High School, where she played high school golf for all four years.
 
Hammerquist qualified for state in all four seasons and was a top ten finisher for All-Conference in her junior and senior campaigns, all while being the only girl on her team until her senior season.
 
Myah, who currently holds a 3.39 GPA at Campbell County, heads to Spearfish next fall and intends to major in elementary education with hopes of becoming an elementary teacher. When asked about what she liked about BHSU, she said she enjoyed the campus, the people, faculty, the education department, and the Newman Center.
 
McKinley Knotts
McKinley Knotts, who comes from Mitchell, Nebraska, heads to BHSU next fall following her graduation from Scottsbluff High School. During her high school career, she played two seasons at Mitchell High before transferring to Scottsbluff for her final season.
 
In her combined three years, Knotts qualified for state championships all three years as a team member and as an individual. Throughout her senior season, she placed top 15 individually in all tournaments but the state meet, averaging a career-low of 88.2 that included a low score of 83.
 
Knotts currently carries a 3.457 GPA and ranks 70^th out of 229 students in her class. The incoming 5'4 freshman plans to study chemistry during her time at BHSU and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field as a doctor.
 
"I like the environment that comes with the campus," Knotts said. "A lot of people I know go to Black Hills State and all I have heard were good things. The campus is not too far from home but still close enough and it seems like a great environment to continue my athletic and academic career."