Alcuin Stories
Celebrating a Milestone
The longest drive of Adysn Schachtel’s career screamed off the tee and landed 275 yards ahead of her, but that distance was nothing compared to the road ahead to reach her goal of making a golf roster at the NCAA Division I level.
During a ceremony at Alcuin School’s gymnasium on Nov. 15, Schachtel realized that goal and signed an athletic scholarship to play for the Creighton University women’s golf team, making her the first student-athlete in the history of Alcuin’s athletic program to play at the highest level of collegiate sports. In her remarks, Schachtel thanked her support team, but singled out Alcuin teachers and administrators for helping her achieve success off the course in the school’s challenging International Baccalaureate program while chasing her athletic goals.
“Today is such a surreal moment,” Schachtel said. “This day makes all the work I put in worth it. I had so much support pursuing this and I couldn’t be more grateful for the people that helped me here at Alcuin.”
Schachtel will be one of two new members of a nine-player team where the competition to make a roster is arguably among the stiffest in college sports, given the limited number of roster spots available and the wide pool of national and international talent. On average, each of the roughly 130 NCAA Division I women’s golf programs seek to fill only two roster spots to fill every year.
The challenge was daunting, Schachtel said, and it required work – lots of it. Together with Alcuin head coach Seth Saylor, Schachtel began her journey as a freshman, competing against some of the area’s best golfers in the Texas Association for Parochial and Private Schools. By the time she reached her senior year, Schachtel had amassed an incredible resumé: 19 tournament wins including one TAPPS state title, one TAPPS state runner-up placement, and two TAPPS regional championships.
Outside Alcuin in North Texas Junior PGA and North Texas Junior Golf Tour competition, she racked up a combined 12 tournament wins and 16 Top Five finishes. Those numbers caught Creighton’s attention, led to multiple conversations with head coach Debbie Conry, and culminated in a phone call where Conry offered Schachtel the scholarship to play for the Bluejays.
“It's an astounding accomplishment that she is one of the very few to have the opportunity to go live this dream,” said Saylor, who has been Schachtel’s coach for six years. “I know how much she’s wanted to accomplish this goal. From the time she made the decision that this is what she wanted she’s had a lot of ups and downs. It’s tough to put into words how proud I am of her.”
Schachtel’s parents, Vanessa and Andrew, said their daughter’s passion for the sport never stopped with competitive tournaments.
“For the past few years she’s been a wonderful ambassador for the sport, teaching golf to elementary children in Plano ISD and participating as an instructor in the Share My Passion clinic, run by the Annika Sorenstam Foundation,” Andrew said. “As a parent, you want her to follow her dream and do what she wants to do. We couldn't be more proud.”
While graduation may yet be a semester away, Schachtel said she is already preparing for life at Creighton. But for now, she’s savoring the moment.
“This is what I’ve wanted to do my entire life, so realizing this goal and getting that opportunity is insane,” said Schachtel.
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