Though Academy of Art Women's Golf was not able to recognize its 2020 senior class on the course this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has taken this opportunity to celebrate its pair of four-year seniors in Elan Hawkins and Han-Chuan "Vicky" Kuo by taking a look back at each of their careers and best moments.
 
"Elan and Vicky, you brought so many laughs to the team," said junior Iveta Posledni. "It won't be a proper tournament trip without Elan's funny stories that never get old and Vicky's jokes with a serious face. It took me a while to look through those and realize you don't have a license on anything. It's great that you don't take yourselves too seriously and are always up to do anything silly. Thanks to you two, I always felt a part of the team, you were great support through thick and thin. Both of you are such hard workers on and off the course, so I'm sure the future holds something great for you!"
 
Elan Hawkins
Since joining the Urban Knights as a freshman in fall 2016, Elan Hawkins has posted a top-10 finish in each of her four seasons at ART U with a total of 10 in her career. Those results helped her to be named to an All-PacWest Team in each of her first three seasons, reach the NCAA postseason each of those years, and garner two PacWest All-Tournament Team selections along the way. The honors have also come away from the course, as she has notched three PacWest All-Academic selections. Hawkins was also instrumental in the Urban Knights being crowned PacWest Champions in 2019. The best round of Hawkins' career was a 72, which she shot in 2018.
 
"Elan has been such a great inspiration to the Academy of Art women's golf team," said head coach Mitch Lowe. "She has been a leader with her voice and with her play. She brings people together and never leaves anyone out."
 
Hawkins recorded the first of her two top-10 finishes in the 2016-17 season in the first tournament of the fall at the Art of Golf Classic, tying for 10th place with a 16-over-par 162. The lowest round to be carded by Hawkins that season was a 75, which she did twice, with the second occurrence coming during the first round of the NCAA DII Women's Super Regional. It was at the 2017 PacWest Championship where Hawkins played her best when she tied for ninth place with a 21-over-par 237. For her efforts, Hawkins would be named to the PacWest All-Tournament Team prior to being announced as an All-PacWest Third Team selection.
 
As a follow up to her rookie campaign, Hawkins tallied three top-10 finishes, led by a second-place performance at the 2017 California Bays Invitational. After sitting in third place after round one, Hawkins found herself tied for the lead at the end of 36 holes, but would be edged out in a one-hole playoff. She went on to finish in second-place at a six-over-par 150 by turning in her two best rounds of the season, a pair of three-over-par 75's. Hawkins would also have a pair of tournaments where she tied for eighth place, first at the 2017 Western Washington Fall Invitational followed by the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout in the spring. The year would culminate in another All-PacWest Third Team selection.
 
It was an incredible start to the 2018-19 season, as Hawkins posted three straight top-10 finishes, including two in the top five. She would go on to end the year with four top-10 finishes, the most in any year of her career. The second tournament of the year was the Dixie State Invitational where Hawkins tied for fourth place with a 2-over-par 146 on the strength of a pair of 1-over-par 73's, her two best rounds of the season. At the very next tournament, the Sonoma State Fall Invitational, Hawkins would tie for fifth place with a six-over-par 150. It was an 11th-place finish at the 2019 PacWest Championship, where the Urban Knights would take home the team title.
 
Hawkins was off to a hot start in 2019-20, taking 12th at the True North Classic before her best finish of the season, a tie for ninth-place at the Sonoma State Fall Invitational. Her best round of 2020 came on the first day of that tournament, a 2-over-par 74, which would put her on her way to a total of eight-over-par 152.
 
From San Jose, Calif., Hawkins is pursuing her degree in Industrial Design. Hawkins previously attended Willow Glen High School, graduating in 2016.
 
"Thank you guys for always being there for me since day one," said junior Anahi Servin. "I'm so grateful that I had the chance to get to know and play with both of you in the last three years. You guys are amazing!"
 
Han-Chuan "Vicky" Kuo
Joining the Urban Knights in fall 2016, Han-Chuan "Vicky" Kuo has garnered many awards in her time at Academy of Art. In each of her first three seasons, Kuo helped ART U reach the NCAA postseason and was named to an All-PacWest Team, PacWest All-Tournament Team, and was a PacWest All-Academic selection. With a total of 12 top-10 finishes, four in each of her freshman, sophomore, and junior years, Kuo was an integral part of the team that won the 2019 PacWest Championship and was a D2ADA Academic Achievement award winner that year. The best round of Kuo's career was a 72, which she shot twice.
 
"Vicky has been the ultimate quiet leader," Lowe said. "With her incredibly dry and hilarious sense of humor, she holds everyone accountable while leading the team to do their best."
 
As a freshman, Kuo made an immediate impact with four top-10 finishes, two of which were in the top five, with one of those coming in the top three. Kuo began her career with a sixth-place finish at the Art of Golf Classic on Sept. 12 and 13, 2016, and it was at the Sonoma State Intercollegiate Invitational on Oct. 18, 2016 where Kuo would finish in second place with a 3-over-par 147. It would be her best finish of the season, and would earn her the first PacWest Golfer of the Week Award for her career. Her last top five finish of the season would come at the PacWest Championship where she finished in a tie for fifth place with an 18-over-par 234 to make the PacWest All-Tournament Team. After the season had concluded, Kuo was named to the All-PacWest Second Team.
 
Building upon her fantastic freshman campaign, Kuo would again notch four top-10 finishes during her sophomore season. It was a ninth-place finish in the second tournament of the season for Kuo, shooting a 12-over-par 156 at the 2017 California Bays Invitational. After a tie for eighth-place at the Battle At The Bay, Kuo again finished ninth in the first spring tournament, the Mikuni Sushi Shootout on Feb. 13, 2018. As the season wound to a close, Kuo would end on a high note. Her best finish of the season came at the 2018 PacWest Championship where she took seventh and was again named to the PacWest All-Tournament Team. For her efforts that season, Kuo was named to the All-PacWest First Team.
 
It was another four top-10 finishes for Kuo in her junior season, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the Dixie State Invitational with a four-over-par 148, also her lowest tournament score of the year. At the 2019 PacWest Championship, it was another seventh-place finish for Kuo as she carded a 14-over-par 230 to be named to the PacWest All-Tournament Team. Her individual finish helped the Urban Knights claim their first ever PacWest title.
 
In the shortened 2020 season, Kuo's best finish was a tie for 17th place with a 15-over-par 159 in the first tournament of the fall, the True North Classic. In the spring, Kuo finished tied for 18th at the Cal State San Marcos Fujikura Invitational with a 11-over-par 155. 
 
From Taoyuan, Taiwan, Kuo is working towards a degree in Motion Pictures & Television. Kuo previously attended Yung Ping Vocational High School, graduating in 2015.
 
"Thank you for being so open and making me feel a part of the team right away," said freshman Valeria Ruiz. "It was really fun being on the same team as you and hearing all of your stories that always made me laugh so much! Keep being as fun, creative and dedicated as you guys are!"