Fighting Illini head women's golf coach Renee Slone has the addition of graduate transfer Reena Sulkar to the 2019-20 roster on Wednesday morning. She will join two-time US Girls Junior Championship qualifier Siyan Chen as newcomers on the team this fall. Chen is currently ranked No. 49 in the current Golfweek's Girls Junior rankings.
As a junior golfer, Sulkar had two top-10 AJGA finishes in 2015-16 including a runner-up finish at the 2016 Illinois Girls Junior Amateur following a playoff. In 2015, she also was the Golfweek Midwest Junior Invitational Champion and set the MAJGT record for most tournaments won in a season with five. The Barrington Hills, Ill. native also earned a trio of honors – Esmark All American, AJGA Transamerica Scholastic Junior All-American, and MAJGT All-Midwest Team honoree.
"We are very excited to welcome Reena to the Fighting Illini family," Slone said. "She is an extremely bright young woman who possesses amazing grit, tenacity and a positive energy in all she does. Her commitment to her family is admirable. After originally planning to join the Illini in 2017, she made the decision to remain close to home to care for a family member."
Sulkar was also a member of Barrington High School's varsity women's golf team, serving as a captain for her junior and senior year, while holding the school record for best score in a round with 65. At states, she helped Barrington to their first runner-up finish at the 2017 IHSA Illinois State Championship, while also assisting the team to a sixth-place finish in 2016. Sulkar is also a three-time IHSA All-State honoree (2014-16), two-time MSLF conference champion (2014-15), and a three-time MSL All-Conference selection (2013-2016).
A member of the National Honor Society, as well as a National Merit Commended and National AP Scholar, Sulkar worked with local nonprofit organizations to provide free golf lessons and resources to underprivileged juniors. The National Honor Society member also set up cognitive activities for Alzheimer's and dementia patients at Lake Barrington Woods Senior Center.
Sulkar originally signed with the Orange and Blue for the 2017-18 season but chose to stay close to home. For the past two years, Sulkar has focused on her academics at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), while playing golf on the amateur circuit.
"Her dedication and drive for excellence on the course and in the classroom are a perfect match for our team culture," Slone said. "We are looking forward to the next step in her journey."
The 2019 UIC graduate was a member of the GPPA Medicine (BS/MD) program and Honors College, while serving as a research intern at the University of Illinois Cancer Center. Sulkar was on the Dean's List and graduated with College Honors and Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA).
On the links for the past two years, she was a 2018 U.S. Women's Amateur qualifier, 2018 USGA U.S. Women's Amateur Sectional Qualifier Medalist, and the 2017 CWDGA Annual Championship winner.
Sulkar will be immediately eligible for competition and plans on pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) while at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
As a junior golfer, Sulkar had two top-10 AJGA finishes in 2015-16 including a runner-up finish at the 2016 Illinois Girls Junior Amateur following a playoff. In 2015, she also was the Golfweek Midwest Junior Invitational Champion and set the MAJGT record for most tournaments won in a season with five. The Barrington Hills, Ill. native also earned a trio of honors – Esmark All American, AJGA Transamerica Scholastic Junior All-American, and MAJGT All-Midwest Team honoree.
"We are very excited to welcome Reena to the Fighting Illini family," Slone said. "She is an extremely bright young woman who possesses amazing grit, tenacity and a positive energy in all she does. Her commitment to her family is admirable. After originally planning to join the Illini in 2017, she made the decision to remain close to home to care for a family member."
Sulkar was also a member of Barrington High School's varsity women's golf team, serving as a captain for her junior and senior year, while holding the school record for best score in a round with 65. At states, she helped Barrington to their first runner-up finish at the 2017 IHSA Illinois State Championship, while also assisting the team to a sixth-place finish in 2016. Sulkar is also a three-time IHSA All-State honoree (2014-16), two-time MSLF conference champion (2014-15), and a three-time MSL All-Conference selection (2013-2016).
A member of the National Honor Society, as well as a National Merit Commended and National AP Scholar, Sulkar worked with local nonprofit organizations to provide free golf lessons and resources to underprivileged juniors. The National Honor Society member also set up cognitive activities for Alzheimer's and dementia patients at Lake Barrington Woods Senior Center.
Sulkar originally signed with the Orange and Blue for the 2017-18 season but chose to stay close to home. For the past two years, Sulkar has focused on her academics at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), while playing golf on the amateur circuit.
"Her dedication and drive for excellence on the course and in the classroom are a perfect match for our team culture," Slone said. "We are looking forward to the next step in her journey."
The 2019 UIC graduate was a member of the GPPA Medicine (BS/MD) program and Honors College, while serving as a research intern at the University of Illinois Cancer Center. Sulkar was on the Dean's List and graduated with College Honors and Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA).
On the links for the past two years, she was a 2018 U.S. Women's Amateur qualifier, 2018 USGA U.S. Women's Amateur Sectional Qualifier Medalist, and the 2017 CWDGA Annual Championship winner.
Sulkar will be immediately eligible for competition and plans on pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) while at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
