June 15, 2021
Olivia (Lansing) Herrick ’06 credits her successful prep, collegiate and women’s amateur golf career to an unlikely source: not playing golf all the time. “I didn’t play too much golf growing up,” Herrick told a US Golf Association reporter. “My interests were diversified – I also played varsity soccer and basketball. Once I went to college and golf was the only thing I was working on, I kept improving because I still had this hunger for it. I wasn’t burned out at 18 years old.”
When she did step onto the course, Herrick was a force. While at MPA, she finished third and second in the MSHSL state golf tournament, won the Tri-Metro Conference championship, and earned Tri Metro all-conference three times. A varsity golfer since seventh grade, she realized her dream of leading MPA’s girls golf team to the Tri-Metro Conference team championship as a senior in 2006.
Following a stellar prep career, Herrick chose to compete collegiately at Division I Drake University in Des Moines, IA. Playing for the Bulldogs, Herrick was dominant in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 2009, she was named Missouri Valley Conference golfer of the week five times in one season, culminating with the conference’s golfer of the year award.
In 2010, she led Drake to a second place finish at the MVC championships, taking first place individually for the second time, and earning MVC golfer of the week four straight weeks.
Also a strong academician, she was a member of the MVC scholar athlete first team and was named to the ESPN The Magazine academic all-district team twice in her collegiate career.
Herrick’s golf career did not end with her last collegiate hole. In fact, she continues to play a large role in the Minnesota golf scene. In 2016, Herrick was named the Minnesota Golf Association’s women’s player of the year, her fourth time receiving that honor. She also serves on the MGA’s board.
Herrick has played in the British Amateur Open, the Canadian Amateur Open and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Open.
A graphic design major at Drake, Herrick worked in marketing and communications at MPA for nearly four years, and now owns Olivia Herrick Design, a full service graphic design studio.
Herrick also served as the head coach of MPA’s girls golf team from 2013-2016, coaching three different MPA golfers to berths in the MSHSL state golf tournament.
