Sunday was a banner day for Virginia senior Lauren Coughlin, both on and off the course.
She birdied the final hole to win the ACC Championship, the first title of her four-year career, and her stellar play also helped lift the Cavaliers to the conference championship for the second consecutive year.
Then came the trophy presentation.
Virginia coach Kim Lewellen asked Coughlin’s longtime boyfriend, former Cavs football player John Pond, to join the ceremony. He grabbed the microphone and asked Coughlin to marry him.
“In the back of my head, I think I knew something was going to happen if I did win,” Coughlin said afterward. “It was better than I could have imagined.”
Her 9-under 207 total was good enough for a two-shot victory.
Virginia won the team title by 11 shots over Wake Forest and by 28 over third-ranked Duke.