The Lehigh women’s golf team hosted the Autumn Harvest Tournament in 2025 and has broken records every time they compete.
Last year, junior Reese Hannon and Yuki Zhu ’25 broke the program records for the lowest round in a 54-hole tournament and the team broke their low-score record.
This year on Sept. 28-29, the Mountain Hawks made history again.
Junior Alana Hall was in a three-way tie beginning the second day of the tournament, but her final round with a score of 69 served as a tiebreaker, giving her the win as an individual of the tournament. Her performance also contributed to Hall being named Patriot League Golfer of the Week.
The victory is the first individual tournament champion for a Lehigh player since the fall of 2017, when Reagan Jahn ’19 won the Towson Invitational.
Although Hall didn’t qualify to compete for the team before the tournament, she was able to register as an individual because there were additional spots available.
“I struggled at the start of the season within qualifying rounds,” Hall said. “But I think it’s pushed me to work a lot harder and think about my shots more.”
In her third season at Lehigh, Hall said this is the first season she hasn’t consistently qualified to play for the tournaments with the team.
However, because of her performance at the Autumn Harvest Tournament, Hall is exempt from qualifying rounds and will play in the next invitational.
“I haven’t been as calm in qualifying rounds,” Hall said. “But I was able to relax during the Autumn Harvest and didn’t feel as much pressure.”
Hall said she didn’t know her spot on the leaderboard until after her teammates told her when the tournament ended.
Women’s head coach John Manos said staying oblivious to their scores is preferred for the players because it helps them stay in the zone on the course.
He said he was proud that on the first day of the tournament — they finished strong after the first round. The team’s second-round score of 283 over 18 holes at the Autumn Harvest Tournament was their lowest team score ever in program history.
“If we’re only going to have one portion of our tournament go perfectly, it’s the finish,” Manos said. “Luckily, that’s what happened at the Autumn Harvest.”
Along with Hall winning the tournament, first-year Valentina Hasan Curilovic led Lehigh’s five-player team score and shot a 67, four under par, to set the program record for low round.
Hasan Curilovic also tied for sixth place individually.
She also comes to Lehigh from Toulouse, France and began golfing at 13 years old.
“I switched to playing the sport late, but I was lucky that coach Manos took a chance on me and saw my commitment to the game,” Hasan Curilovic said. “And I think that showed especially in the tournament.”
Hasan Curilovic said she gained confidence throughout the rounds even though she didn’t know where she stood until the match was over.
Manos said breaking multiple records at the Autumn Harvest Tournament wasn’t anticipated, but he knew the team could do it.
Hasan Curilovic and fellow first-year Lilly Riegger currently have the two lowest scoring averages on the team.
Hall said the first-years have impacted the team in great ways, from encouraging others to being a positive, fresh face representing the team in tournaments.
Part of their success this season has come with access to more facilities. The Mountain Hawks practice using the Saucon Valley Country Club courses, but this season they have a new agreement with the club. Hall said they now can use a wider variety of tools and spaces, like putting greens, short game areas and chipping greens.
“Being able to change it up has helped our game,” Hall said. “We’re able to practice our short game in a more focused manner as opposed to just getting creative on the courses we had access to before.”
Up next, the Mountain Hawks will host the Lehigh Invitational in New Jersey on Oct. 26
Hasan Curilovic said they are looking to keep their momentum going and accomplish things that have never been done before, and she believes they have the talent to do so.
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