Nyhus leading on the course and in the classroom
Golfer Kim Nyhus is in the midst of her junior season at UVU. Her scoring average of 79.6 is third on the team and she had a top-10 finish at the Hobble Creek Fall Classic in Springville earlier this season, carding a 7-over-par 149 over two rounds. In the first round of the event, she recorded four birdies and 13 pars en route to carding a 68, a record for the lowest scoring round in school history.
“It’s going really well,” Nyhus said. “My scoring average is the lowest it’s ever been and the team scoring average is the lowest it’s ever been.”
Golf is a unique sport in that they participate in tournaments both in the fall and the spring, with a winter break in between. Nyhus, however, would disagree with the mentality that the winter is offseason. Instead, she says, that is when the golfers have the opportunity to really improve their game.
Photo courtesy of UVU Athletics.
“We call it offseason, but we actually end up doing more in the offseason than we do in our season,” Nyhus said. “That’s when we really hit the gym hard… We do a lot of focused chipping and pitching… I’ve practiced out in the snow pretending it was a bunker.”
Off the course, Nyhus has been a great leader and a major ambassador for UVU. She is currently a member of the advisory council for both the school and the Western Athletic Conference.
“It’s been so fun to be able to represent my school in the conference and be a liaison between the athletes and the administrators,” Nyhus said. “It’s allowed me to meet a lot of really cool people and … the leadership qualities that I’m gaining are priceless.”
In the classroom, Nyhus has kept a maintained focus on her education. In both her freshman and sophomore years she was named a WGCA All-American Scholar as well as an Academic All-WAC selection. She graduated early last spring with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and is now taking prerequisites in hopes of attending physician’s assistant school in 2017.
“My education has always been really important to me,” Nyhus said. “I really enjoy being in the college atmosphere. It’s hard to balance your school and your golf but there’s ways to do it and I’ve learned how to manage my time well.”
Photo courtesy of UVU Athletics.
Nyhus has enjoyed her time at UVU and encourages every student to get involved in the various clubs, teams and activities on campus.
“I love being a part of UVU,” said Nyhus. “Being a leader has opened up so many doors on campus and I would just encourage all the students to get involved in any way they can.”
I grew up on a farm in Burley, Idaho, but I’ve always had an intense love of sports. I’m studying journalism in an attempt to turn my love into a career. I’m a huge Utah Jazz, Tennessee Titans, and San Jose Sharks fan. If it’s a sport, I’ll watch it.