Rich Cummings said his St. Bede girls golf team was always in good hands if they had a Mendoza playing.

After 11 years with a Mendoza sister in the lineup, St. Bede has reached the end of the line.

Aleanna “Aly” Mendoza, the youngest of three sisters to have played for the Bruins, has made her last swing wearing the green of St. Bede. She repeats as the BCR Golfer of the Year, joining sister, Aiko, who won BCR honors in 2016.

Oldest sister Gabby was a freshman on St. Bede’s 2010 regional champions, nine years before Aly did as a sophomore.

“I keep asking (their parents) if they have another they’ve been hiding. But no dice,” Cummings said. “It’s been a great run for that family. All three of the girls were fantastic with good parents. It’s been a pleasure.”

Mendoza said she always looked up to her sisters.

“I grew up in a golfing family. So, it was like a Mendoza little legacy-type thing,” she said. “My older sister, her team won regionals. And my second sister, she made it really far. They both golfed in college, so that made me want to step up and take on the role that they left me.”

Mendoza plans to follow both of her sisters to play golf at St. Ambrose University, where she plans to study computer science or network administration. She will meet with the coach Monday and is excited to continue her career.

“Golf’s just something I really enjoy and look forward to every fall, spring and summer,” she said.

If the three sisters were to play now. Mendoza says she usually wins, because the other two don’t play as often anymore.

Lengthy resume

Mendoza’s resume is lengthy.

She was named First Team TRAC All-Conference for the fourth straight year, placing second in this year’s conference meet.

She carded an area-best 44 average, saving her best for last with a school record 76 at regionals, leading her team to a third-place finish and trip to the sectionals.

Cummings said Mendoza is always looking for ways to improve her game.

“For a little thing, she hits the ball a long way and she’s accurate,” he said. “The big thing she’s always looking to improve. She’s never satisfied. Happy, but not satisfied approach. There’s always something she could have done better.”

One thing Cummings talked to Mendoza about was becoming a team leader and said she really grew and matured in that role.

“Even though she’s probably been the best golfer on the team the past two or three years, she wasn’t necessarily the team leader. She always left that for the seniors,” Cummings said. “She was a quiet, shy girl when she came, but she really grew into that role. She was really our leader this year as far as trying to get girls interested and that sort of thing.”

Mendoza said it was an important to take over that role.

“My sisters were also (leaders) when they were at St. Bede and I wanted to take on that role that Alyssa (Heitz) left for me,” she said.

It proved to be a job well done.

“The last time I saw Bri (teammate Brianne Briggs) with the golf team, she hugged me and thanked me,” Mendoza said. “It was really, really bitter sweet, because she hugged me and said thanks for being such a good leader. It was a really heartwarming to me.”

Mendoza is the seventh St. Bede girl named as Golfer of the Year, following Michelle Coble (2000), Randi Watland (2006), Bekki Prokup (2009), Kate Gregorich (2010), Barbi Prokup (2012) and her sister, Aiko (2016).

The Ally Mendoza File:

* Two-time BCR Female Golfer of the Year

* First Team TRAC All-Conference for the fourth straight year

* TRAC runner-up

* Third at regionals with a school record 76

* Averaged area-best 44