Cernousek & Chadwell have returned from historic week in California

On Monday, Texas A&M golfer Adela Cernousek became the first Aggie to capture an individual national title. Following the team's quarterfinal departure, Cernousek and head coach Gerrod Chadwell joined TexAgs Radio to recap A&M's showing at the NCAA Championships.

Key notes from Adela Cernousek interview

• It’s starting to sink in. It’s getting there with having the trophy. I’m starting to realize now that I’m back here, and I think we’re having a little celebration tomorrow, which is where it will probably really sink in.
   
• I don’t believe it. I was close to winning a couple of times this year, and I was disappointed when I didn’t win. I think it’s just part of a bigger plan, and it’s so cool to be able to win a national championship for my first win. It’s crazy.
   
• To be handed the trophy was really cool. Having all of the people around, it’s so special. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s really, really cool.
   
• When I got here, I missed my family from those first minutes. France is very different from College Station. The facilities and everything here are amazing, so you have everything for success if you put in the work. I always kept going and putting in the work every day. Every 6 a.m. workout or every practice after practice, I just kept going. I would come to the facility at night to practice more. At the end of the day, that helped me a lot.
   
• In Houston, I was leading before the last round. I missed a lot of putts in the last round. I didn’t win and finished 15th. I was so close, but it stinks. I made some good putts this week that actually helped me win. I made a lot of five and six-footers for pars that helped me win. Putting is what I’ve improved the most in my game. I’ve put in a lot of work.
   
• With my faith, I’ve always been at peace. The night before the final round, I saw a Bible verse on Instagram. Proverbs 16:9. “If it’s God’s will, it will happen. If it’s not, it’s part of a bigger plan.” I was at peace going into that day.
   
• Having G with me the whole round was really cool. He always helps me.
   
• It’s really cool that all the sports are playing well right now. Women’s tennis won the national championship the day before I did, and it’s really fun to see all the sports doing well because we’re around other athletes all the time. It’s really cool.
   
• I leave on Sunday for the U.S. Open. I’ll have the rest of June off. In July, I’m playing in the Arnold Palmer Cup, and right after that, I’m playing for France in the European Championships with the national team in Spain. I also got invited to an LPGA event in Ohio the week after. I’ll be playing in the U.S. Amateur right after.

Key notes from Gerrod Chadwell interview

• It almost feels like you were in California for two weeks. It’s almost three tournaments rolled into one. We were disappointed, but it’s great to bring home a champion. There were 30-40 people at the airport yesterday, and that’s just another thing that makes this place special. I think every young lady realizes they’re playing for something bigger than themselves. When you walked in yesterday, you definitely realized that.
   
• We’re so close. We were the best team in the country for 68 holes, but that’s how that sport is. We got to match play, but we’ve been on the good side of it and the bad side of it. We were in control through nine holes and lost the momentum of the round with some sloppiness. We were also nine holes from not making it with the back-nine run they went on in the Bryan Regional to get there. Then you saw them go on a run. That’s what we’re capable of. I’m excited about that going forward.
   
• I was watching the baseball game last night with a good friend who is a big supporter of the athletic department. He told me that we just had the best three years in program history and that I should be proud of that. When you get away from the disappointment, that can sink in. The girls have been amazing.
   
• Stuff like Adela Cernousek winning the individual title is possible at Texas A&M. It just happens so fast. You putt out, and they’re handing you a trophy. You have all of these cameras in front of you. That’s what this program has been competing for. The fact that she punched that ticket is part of a bigger plan. She has found her faith. She’s not the same young lady she was when she showed up as a freshman. We’ve had a lot of hard conversations. I remember picking her up at the airport and seeing her when she was homesick. It’s a testament to her. When we got home from Houston earlier this year, she couldn’t go home until she finished putting because that’s what got her beat. There is not a more deserving person that I’ve ever coached to be able to carry this for the rest of their life.
   
• Cernousek qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open the day we left for the NCAA Championships and dealt with adversity there. She was playing great and got rained out. She had to come back here, pack and return to Houston the next day. That was a shot in the arm that she could do something like this.
   
• Once you get to the national championship, the work is done. We keep it light and loose. You push and pull the right strings to get there. We were so impressive. Everybody was asking if we were playing a different golf course. There were still some things to clean up, but we were dominating. We got to 16-under par at one point. It’s just a long week to keep that going.
   
• It’s such a long year, and it started at Pebble Peach on Labor Day weekend. Some of these young ladies had amazing achievements. Cernousek and Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio played in the World Am. Jennie Park got her professional status. We had three ladies at the Augusta Women’s Am. Then we caught our stride once all those healthy distractions were out of our way for April and May.
   
• There are so many people that go into this. We have so many supporters, and it really does take a tribe. These young ladies represented all of them in true fashion. I think we’ll all look back on it. It’s the end of an era, and those three seniors changed all of our lives. There will be time to reflect on that, but there is still so much excitement because we are so close with who we have coming back and who is coming in.
   
• Next year’s team will look different. We’ll look younger. Sky Sudberry will be ready to go. She was in the sixth spot and was really an embodiment of what the 12th Man stands for. She stayed prepared. She learned so much about what it takes to get there and being on the venue. We have Mia Nixon. We have Lauren Nguyen and Lana Calibuso-Kwee, who was instrumental for us last year. We have a freshman coming in that is probably No. 2 in the class. The portal closes on May 30, so if we can find some experience there, we’ll add it. Still, it has to be the right fit. These young ladies have created a culture and a standard. Next year will be here before we know it. We need some rest, but August is coming. Hopefully, we’ll be here in 365 days to talk about something bigger.
   
• I get to spend a lot of time this summer with Cernousek and talk about what she wants in a team because she’ll be our lone senior next year. That’s going to be instrumental for us in having people look up to her and her work ethic. I’m excited about that.
   
• Some of the people who usually hop on a plane right after nationals are staying around College Station a little bit longer, so I think we’re doing something right if they want to call this place home.
   
• The young ladies have seen it with what they’ve accomplished. How can you not get better here? How can you not want to compete for championships? How can you not want to play for something bigger than yourself? We try to surround ourselves with like-minded people. Winning is not everything, and I’m super proud of the fashion that they do it in. The best part of the day is when we get to the facility and see them get after it. We’re excited to get back there and hopefully win something bigger.