NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Ami Gianchandani, a sophomore who is the reigning Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Year, has been voted the captain for the 2020-21 Yale Women's Golf Team.

Gianchandani, who earned those league honors in 2019 after an outstanding rookie year, was only the second Yale player to accomplish that combination and the fourth Bulldog to be Ivy player of the year. She did not get a chance to play her 2020 spring season, but was the only Ivy player to make the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup Rankings.

"I am honored and excited to have been named captain," said Gianchandani, a statistics and data science major in Ezra Stiles College. "I am constantly inspired and motivated by my incredible teammates, and I hope to be a leader who can do the same for them. One of this team's strengths is each player's ability to push every other person. As a leader of the team, I want to create a culture where this competition and camaraderie work hand-in-hand." 
 
The Watchung, N.J., native has been working her way into the school record books since arriving in New Haven. In fact, she broke the school record with a 65 (5 under par) in the second round of the 2019 Yale Fall Invitational.

"A captain is someone who always puts the team above all else, is willing to put in the work every day, and who unapologetically pushes their teammates to constantly strive for excellence. These are all things that Ami already does every day; they come naturally to her. She will be a strong captain for Yale Women's Golf next season and I look forward to watching her lead in this new role," said Lauren Harling, the head coach for the Bulldogs.

Her collegiate career began with a bang when she grabbed first-place at Dartmouth's tournament in the fall of 2018. Gianchandani went on to win the Princeton Invitational and the Pinehurst Invitational before finishing fourth overall at the 2019 Ivy League Championships.

Gianchandani's focus is on her team and winning championships. "We are coming off a very successful shortened season, but I have no doubt this team of talented student-athletes will return stronger and more determined than ever to win next year," said the new captain.