University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Welcome Deakins to Women's Golf Program
6/9/2025 2:14:00 PM | Women's Golf
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota women's golf head coach Matt Higgins announced the signing of Olivia Deakins to join the Golden Gophers for the 2025-26 campaign with one year of collegiate eligibility remaining.
"We are very excited to add Olivia to the team for this upcoming season," said head coach Matt Higgins. "She brings a lot of tournament experience to our program. She is very athletic and long off the tee. She is very motivated and an extremely hard worker."
Deakins comes to Dinkytown after spending three seasons at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Fla., where she was the 28th-ranked player nationally last year. A native of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., she improved her scoring average each season with the Lions and won individual event titles in each of the last two seasons. She was also named an Honorable Mention All-American in NCAA Division II this season.
"I am super excited for the opportunity to play for Coach Higgins and Coach Greene at the University of Minnesota," said Deakins. "I chose Minnesota for the combination of elite athletics and academic opportunities. I am extremely excited to get the year started with my new teammates and coaches. Go Gophers!"
She competed in all 12 events as a junior and led the Lions with a 74.0 scoring average across 34 total rounds. Deakins paced Saint Leo four times during the 2024-25 season, including six top-10 performances, and won a tournament title at the Augustana Spring Fling. She carded a season-low round of 6-under-par (66) to close the Lynn Invite and ended the season with 13 rounds of even par or better.