Allison Howarth became the University of the Incarnate Word’s women’s golf head coach in May 2018. Although she brings abundant youthful enthusiasm to the job, her resume reveals an impressive record as a collegiate golfer—as well as deep roots in the San Antonio and central Texas golf community.
In the 2019-20 shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Howarth continued to lead the Cardinals to success. In eight tournaments, the Cardinals had four top 10 finishes. Three of those finished in the top three. Howarth led Lauren Mancha to her first individual win at the Islander Classic on Feb. 24 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Mancha was later named February's Southland Conference Women Golfer of the Month for her efforts.
Howarth continued to lead the Cardinals into the record books as Mancha (69), Ellen Nicholas (68), and Gracie Aday (69) all shot career lows in the 2019-20 season. Mirroring the team’s athletic success, Aday was named Southland Conference All-Academic Team.
In Howarth's first full season at the helm (2018-19), she led the Cardinals to nine top 10 ten finishes. Their best finish came at the UT-Arlington Invitational where they finished fourth.
Howarth did not stop there, leading her UIW to break records. In 2019, Aday had a record score of 69 three-under-par 72 at the USA Intercollegiate. The Cardinals also went on to shoot a low team score of 296 at the Hobble Creek Fall Classic. Additionally, Howarth led UIW to an eighth-place finish at the Southland Conference Tournament in Magnolia, Texas. Not only was there athletics success, but academic success as well with six of student-athletes earning 2019 Spring Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades.
Howarth is indeed a hard-working competitor. During four years on the links at neighboring St. Mary’s University, she compiled an impressive individual record and became a team leader from the beginning. Here are some of her achievements for the Rattlers:
- Led the Rattlers to a 5th Place finish in Division II nationals (2017)
- Led the Rattlers to a 2nd Place finish in the Heartland Conference (2017)
- Led the Rattlers to a 1st Place finish in the Heartland Conference (2016)
- During her senior year, the Rattlers won five tournament team titles (2017)
- Hardscrabble Invitational Tournament individual title (4/11/17)
- Doc Housewright Invitational individual title (4/12/16)
- Heartland Conference First Team (2014-15)
- Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout individual title (3/3/15)
- Two-time Heartland Conference Player of the Week (2014-15 and 2015-16)
- Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year (2013-14)
- Two-time Heartland Conference Second Team (2013-14, 2015-16)
- Three-time Heartland Conference All-Tournament team (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16)
Howarth graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Risk Management from St. Mary’s in 2017. She is working on her Master of Business Administration degree at UIW, which she expects to receive in December 2018.
During the 2017-18 golf season, she served as a graduate assistant women’s golf coach for the Cardinals.
Howarth was a stellar prep golfer at San Antonio’s Douglas MacArthur High school. She was a first-team all-state selection as a junior and a second-team all-state winner as a senior. The
San Antonio Express-News named her Player of the Year as a junior and a member of its Super Team as a sophomore.
