Mackenzie Kingsbury trailblazes a path for future female Husky athletes
By Chris Tiner | Co-Editor-in-Chief
In what has become one of the most competitive landscapes in the women’s athlete sports world, women’s golf has greatly increased in popularity over the last decade. After years of men’s golf existing at USM, women’s golf was finally added to the list of women’s sports this year. Mackenzie Kingsbury, a junior at USM, and a part of the inaugural women’s golf team describes it as an “honor” to have the opportunity to be a part of history.
Growing up in Woodsville, New Hampshire, Kingsbury started playing golf at a young age as well as being a three-sport athlete, including softball and basketball. She would attend local golf camps in the summer to help grow her game. Mackenzie explained how she lost sight of the game until picking it back up again going into her sophomore year at Woodsville High School.
“I kind of stopped playing for a little while and picked it back up my sophomore year of high school,” Kingsbury said. 
For some, being a part of the “starting six” will not mean anything, but for amateur golfers, it means everything. In the starting six, you are a varsity-level golfer and you are starting on your team. Mackenzie was a part of the starting lineup all three years of varsity high school women’s golf that she played in.
To attend a state championship meet in high school golf, you have to be performing at the highest level in the entire state. Mackenzie attended the 2021 NHIAA Girls Golf Championship in the Medal Flight, which is the flight that plays nine holes, where she would go on to tie for second place. That is not the end of the accomplishments Kingsbury achieved during her high school golf career, she was also named Granite State All-North Team for golf. 
Mackenzie excelled at multiple different sports while she attended high school. She was a part of the Woodsville softball team that won state championships in 2021, and 2022. Kingsbury earned Granite State North Team and second-team All-State honors, as well as All-State Pitcher of the Year
When asking Mackenzie about how it feels to be a part of the inaugural women’s golf team at USM, an enthusiastic response followed, and it was one that you could tell came off the tongue very easily.
“It’s really cool. In a way for us, it is interesting because we become a part of history,” Kingsbury said.
History will be made, as without a doubt the inaugural team for women’s golf at USM is surely something that will be remembered for a long time.
Wanting to know more about the process of women’s golf becoming a thing at USM, Mackenzie detailed to me how everything came about to the inaugural team eventually starting this year in 2024.
“It is definitely something that they have been talking about for the last few years, wanting to get it started. This was the year that it finally happened,” Kingsbury said.
Mackenzie found out about the start of the women’s golf team this year through her USM softball head coach, and USM women’s golf assistant coach, Sarah Jamo. 
“She knew that I had played in high school so she introduced me to the head coach, and that is how it all started,” Kingsbury said.
Mackenzie shared encouraging words with other USM women athletes who may be golfers or want to try golf in the future.
“It is a really great program and I am proud to be a part of it, I would definitely recommend to all types of people to come join it,” Kingsbury said.
On top of women’s golf at USM, Mackenzie is also a member of the USM women’s softball team. She will go on to keep studying elementary education at USM for the last two years of her bachelor’s degree. Mackenzie Kingsbury is a true example of a model Husky athlete and student.