By Bill Sheehan
In her first four seasons as a head coach, Kathryn Hosch didn't have much to celebrate. Her Cal State Fullerton women's golf program was in the middle of the pack. The school's top showings were a couple of fifth-place finishes at the Big West Championships.
Things improved in the fall of 2022 with the arrival of four freshmen players: Davina Xanh, Kaitlyn Zermeno Smith, Katharina Zeilinger and Kajsa Landstrom. The team finished fourth in the 2023 Big West Championships and placed third a year later. Xanh was named the conference's Golfer of the Year as a sophomore.
While Landstrom gave up collegiate golf and returned to her native Denmark after her sophomore year, the remaining trio propelled Fullerton to its first-ever Big West Championship in 2025. The school appeared in the NCAA Division 1 Regionals and Championships – also firsts. Zermeno Smith was named Big West Golfer of the Year.
The Titans have stepped up again this season, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA regionals. Xanh won her second Big West Golfer of the Year award, becoming the first Titan to earn the honor multiple times. She joined Zermeno Smith and Zeilinger to become the first trio to earn All-Big West First Team honors in the same season in Fullerton history.
The regionals will be held Monday through Wednesday at six sites across the country, with 72 teams and 36 individuals competing to advance to the national championship. The top five teams and top individual not on an advancing team from each regional will move on to the NCAA Championship on May 22-27 in Carlsbad.
Fullerton is competing at the Stanford Golf Course on the Stanford University campus and is seeded 7th in the 12-team regional. The Titans, who are ranked 43rd
in the nation, are the best team in school history, said Hosch. "We have the highest ranking in school history. Our scoring average is the lowest in school history, and it has come playing at a high level against strong opponents on tough courses."
"Davina, Kaitlyn and Kathi have been here all four years. We didn't have much to sell them on rankings or scoring average when they were being recruited. We weren't doing that great. But they came here on a vision and a belief that we would build something," said Hosch, who is in her ninth year as head coach.
"Davina was a good player from the beginning and well ranked. In a conversation, she asked me, 'Who are the other players coming in? Are they any good?' I told her Kathi was on the Austrian team and talked about the other recruits. That was her deciding factor, I think, in coming here."
"The whole team built this from the ground up, especially by these three seniors. They were the ones that broke a lot of records. But they also helped me and the younger players to understand what the blueprint looks like to have a winning culture. It's now more clear to me what to look for in recruits. These seniors have an incredible work ethic. Their attitude is, 'We are going to get the job done.' "
At the Big West Championship in Hawaii last month, Hosch said, a TV interviewer asked her whom the best Titans player was? "My response was, 'Depending on what?' At the time, Kaitlyn has the best world ranking of the three. Davina had the best college ranking. And Kathi had the best scoring average."
Xanh, who hails from Weston-super-Mare, England, has led the team in scoring average and won a collegiate tournament in each of her four years. She has the most career top-20 finishes (34) and most rounds at par or better in program history (64).
She said the team's post-season experience from last year is a big plus. "As a team, it's important to stay resilient and not only enjoy the experience but be grateful to be there. That will give us the best position to compete and play freely," said Xanh, who has a 72.14 scoring average and five top-10 finishes this season.
The four-time All-Big West First Team selection and one-time Rookie of the Year has played competitively on the Stanford course. She placed 13th out of 99 golfers in the prestigious Stanford Intercollegiate tournament in October 2024.
Zermeno-Smith, who is from Covina, has a 72.89 scoring average. She also has five top-10 finishes this season. As a junior, she won a regular-season tournament and was the Big West individual champion.
"We didn't play our best in the first round of the Big West Championship, which screwed us up going into the next two days. And we ended up third. As long as the majority of us are shooting around par, and a couple of use go moderately low, our chances will be really good," she said.
Zeilinger, whose hometown is Neuhofen, Austria, said the team is in a good spot. "We know we can advance if we play well. Everyone is working hard on their games to give themselves the best chance of playing well at the regional," said Zeilinger, who is averaging 72.59 per round. She won her first collegiate tournament in February and has four top-10 finishes this season.
Joining the trio in the starting lineup at Stanford are junior Zara Ali of Leeds, England, and senior Louise Dahl of Jyllinge, Denmark. Dahl transferred to Fullerton as a junior. Both have been front-line players for Fullerton the past two seasons. Senior Jordyn Janert, who transferred to Fullerton as a sophomore, will once again serve as the team alternate in post-season play.
"Everyone has an important role to play. Zara really stepped up at the conference tournament, finishing fifth. And Louise has been a huge asset since coming to Fullerton" said Hosch, who also cited contributions from second-year assistant coach Linley Ooi and Neale Smith, the team's mental coach.
Ooi, a former Titans player, has been named to the Golf Pride Women's Golf Coaches Association's Assistant Coach of the Year Award watchlist. "Linley has played a big part in developing our players' skills," said Hosch. "I'm like an older sister or auntie – someone who the players can go to with any issues they have," said Ooi.
Smith has been the Titans' mental coach for several years. He has also worked with touring PGA professionals. "Golf is one of those sports that needs a mental coach who understands the game. We are very fortunate to have him," said Hosch, who was named the Big West Co-Coach of the Year.
"We were talking the other day. I know that sounds maybe overly simplifying it, but this is the truth. If we play well, we'll comfortably make the cut. If we play mediocre, we'll be on the cut. And if we play bad, we'll miss the cut entirely."
Hosch has been struck by the loyalty of Xanh, Zermeno Smith and Zeilinger. "Last year, we went to nationals, and no one transferred out. Normally, when that happens at a mid-major, you're going to lose at least one player in the transfer portal. If it happens in the future, I'm not going to take it personally. But what it does show is that we have a pretty neat thing going on here."
Kathi Zeilinger 'super-stoked' after capturing first collegiate golf tourney (02.23.26)
https://fullertontitans.com/news/2026/2/23/womens-golf-feature-zeilinger-super-stoked-after-capturing-her-first-collegiate-golf-tourney.aspx
Fullerton golfer Kaitlyn Zermeno Smith powers her way to elite level (04.02.25)
https://fullertontitans.com/news/2025/4/2/womens-golf-feature-fullerton-golfer-powers-her-way-to-elite-level.aspx
Titans' freshman golfer Davina Xanh is driven to succeed (04.17.23)
https://fullertontitans.com/news/2023/4/17/4_17_2023_348.aspx
