From the Fairway to the Top 20: Isabella Wang ’26 Tees Up for Emory

By Chase Spolansky ’27, Big Red Sports Network Reporter 

From cleaning every golf club the night before a tournament, to flying to Las Vegas the day after the SAT for a weekend of competitive golf, Isabella Wang '26 has never let the pressure of the game—or balancing athletics with academics—keep her off the course. This spring, as Wang prepares to take her talents to Emory next year, she reflects on helping to lead Big Red golf to state and Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) championships, and on what has made her journey so remarkable.

Wang's relationship with golf began almost before she could walk. Growing up in a family where her father played regularly, she first picked up a club around age two. For years, golf was simply a way to spend time with family—casual, joyful, and unhurried. It wasn't until she was 14 or 15 that something shifted. "That's when I kind of knew golf was something I really enjoyed and wanted to play competitively," she recalled.

Her biggest early influence was her father, her first playing partner on the course. But as Wang's game grew more serious, it was her mother who became her anchor. Traveling to tournaments throughout the summer, her mom was a constant presence through every high and low.

"Whenever I would have a good or bad round, she would always be there to support me," Wang said.

Balancing elite athletics with Lawrenceville's rigorous academics is no small feat, and Wang's schedule has tested that balance. In her Fourth Form year, she sat for the SAT on a Saturday, flew to Las Vegas that same afternoon, competed in a tournament Sunday and Monday, then red-eyed back to campus in time for first-period class. "Sometimes it just doesn't work out perfectly," she said with characteristic composure, "but you just learn to manage the stress."

That composure extends to the course itself. Wang described how leading up to her Fourth Form summer—when the college decision loomed largest—stress threatened to cloud her focus. Her solution was simple but disciplined: stay present. "I just try to enjoy it and know that I've worked really hard," she said. "Just kind of being in the moment."

Wang's pre-round ritual reflects that same intentionality. The night before every tournament, she cleans every club and marks each ball with a red Sharpie—a line and two dots. On game day, she arrives at the course 90 minutes to two hours before her tee time, putts for 20 minutes to read the greens, hits around thirty balls on the range — never more, to avoid overworking her swing—then returns to the putting green for lag putts (a long putt aimed at getting close to the putt) before heading out.

What she'll miss most about Lawrenceville golf is what she values most: the team. "It's a really special moment when you get to win something together that is bigger than yourself," she said.

"Like winning states and MAPLs—it's not about your individual score. It's about the collective."

At Emory University, Wang joins a program ranked first in Division III and coming off a national championship. She's excited—and a little nervous. But if her career at Lawrenceville is any indication, she'll be right at home.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.