It was a little over a year ago that things changed dramatically for Reese Guzman.

The Maui High School graduate and standout senior on the Pepperdine University women’s golf team collapsed during a practice round in Wisconsin in preparation for the team’s second tournament of the fall, in mid-September 2021.

“I collapsed during the practice round in Wisconsin and was seizing out, so I went to the E.R. — so I was out due to heart complications,” Guzman said last week via phone. “I had to get some tests just to make sure my heart was OK. So, I had a heart monitor and everything.”

After it was determined that her heart was fine and her collapse came from “overworking my body,” according to Guzman, she made it back in time for the spring season last year.

Now, she is the unquestioned leader of the Waves.

“I was out for that (fall 2021) season due to medical complications and that was hard on me,” Guzman said. “I learned a lot of patience, not just with myself, but in general. It definitely made me see how life is very precious, especially in college, I mean you only get four years so you might as well make the most of it. … I’ve definitely learned perseverance through my journey.”

Guzman added that now “physically I feel great, I’m healthy and in terms of my mental health it is at its greatest. I’m a lot happier.”

Pepperdine coach Laurie Gibbs will bring the Waves to the Anuenue Spring Break Classic at Royal Kaanapali Golf Course March 27-29, 2023, with Guzman leading the team on the course.

“She is a lovely young lady,” Gibbs said. “Reese is one of those personalities that you just gravitate towards. We even saw that in recruiting her. Not only are we recruiting the golfer, but we’re recruiting the person, the personality, what she is going to bring to the team as a whole person. Reese just has done a great job in her three and a half years.”

Gibbs marvels at how Guzman rebounded from her physical setback.

“As our only senior, I could not be more proud of Reese,” Gibbs said. “She came back ready to play.”

Guzman’s ride in Malibu, Calif., has been an adventure, for sure.

“It’s definitely been a roller-coaster type of journey, I’ve definitely had some ups and downs,” Guzman said.

The Waves finished fourth out of 10 teams in the USF Intercollegiate in early September this year and then finished the fall season with team wins in the 20-team Golfweek Red Sky Classic and the 15-team Golf Iconic Classic in early October.

Pepperdine is currently ranked 34th in the nation by golfstat.com.

“It’s all really nice to have such a positive team culture, especially since we’re all really close with each other,” Guzman said. “You know how golf is an individual sport, so it’s nice to have a team that supports each other as individuals and we kind of push each other to be the best that we can be as well.”

Guzman is fourth on the team in scoring average at 73.22.

“Being the only senior on the team there’s definitely a role that I do have to play in terms of helping a teammate out, especially the freshmen if they need help understanding the rigors,” Guzman said. “Especially like right before we go out to play, before every round for tournaments, I am in charge of giving speeches for our players to have a positive mindset going into the round.”

She relishes the role, for sure.

“Honestly, I think I was made for it,” she said.

She has the option of playing one more season for the Waves due to the COVID pandemic shutdown.

“I’m considering it, keeping my options open, but it’s still undecided if I’m going to take it or not,” Guzman said.

Her outlook has changed since the incident in Wisconsin. Taking care of herself, mentally and physically, is now first and foremost.

“It was a huge eye-opener for me, it was honestly life-changing for me because it gave me time to really reflect about myself and how I want to … how I can help my team, even though I’m out for the season,” Guzman said. “It was more of a self-growth moment for me, for sure. That’s where I learned a lot from my past that affects my present and that could affect my future.

“So, I really learned, like, coping mechanisms, different mechanisms that could help me and strategies that could help me for the future in terms of my body and how I could perceive things. I definitely think that as hard as it was, I’m honestly really glad that I came out the other end of it in a positive way.”

Guzman said that there are some simple things that she has emphasized for her health.

“I prioritize my sleep better, my eating habits — I ate really healthy already, but in terms of getting the intake that I wanted, I sometimes would skimp, but now I don’t,” Guzman said. “I make sure that I’m fueling my body properly, having a good relationship with food. Especially, like, self body image has improved immensely.

“I think a really big thing for me that I learned was to really listen to my body in terms of if I’m really tired, if my body is fatigued it’s OK — I had to really learn to tell myself it’s OK to have a rest day because before I would feel guilty about having a rest day. I learned that my body needs it in order to keep grinding the way that I do. I have to recharge my body, refuel my body in order to keep doing the things that I love to do.”

One of those things is the game of golf — she does not plan to chase an LPGA career, but wants to have the game in her life in one form or another.

“I will always have a love for the game,” she said. “I think even after I finish college golf I don’t think I will ever stop golfing.”

She has recently been working with the Southern California Golf Association as a youth coach for underprivileged kids.

“For me, I can’t really see myself being a golf coach,” she said. “I love working with the kids. A lot of them have a passion for the game, it’s really nice to see the next generation of golfers, helping them out. To be a part of their journey is really rewarding for me because I was in their shoes at one point.

“It’s awesome to see them develop and understand and learn the skills and also know what lies ahead for them is amazing. It’s a great opportunity and it’s a great opportunity for me to give back to the game as well.”

Guzman will graduate in the spring with her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sports medicine — she’s not sure exactly what she wants to do for a job, “but I really want to continue on the mental health route. I know that for sure.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.