Aug 18, 2025 By Jonathan Guth 5 min read

Before she became the special education coordinator for grades K-6, the district technology coordinator and the elementary reading interventions coordinator for the Uniontown Area School District, Dr. Lauren Clemmer was Lauren George, a decorated golfer for the Red Raiders.

Clemmer, a 2001 graduate of Uniontown Area High School, was a two-time WPIAL champion in 1999 and 2000, and a three-time PIAA medalist after earning top-10 finishes of seventh (1998), fifth (1999) and fifth (2000). Clemmer qualified for the district finals and state tournament all four years of high school.

Uniontown didn’t have a girls team, which forced Clemmer to play on the boys squad. Clemmer earned a golf scholarship to play for the University of Kentucky.

Clemmer has since returned to Uniontown where she lives with her husband, Shawn, and daughter, Mallory, who is a sophomore at Geibel Catholic High School.

Mallory is known for her abilities on the basketball and volleyball courts, but didn’t have much interest in following in her mom’s footsteps until Lauren was recognized for her past achievements on the golf course.

“I think when she came to watch me get inducted into the Fayette County and Uniontown Halls of Fame started to change her mindset,” Lauren Clemmer said. “She was old enough to understand that I had competed at a high level. She loves sports and plays every one that she can.”

Seeing what her mother did on the golf course inspired Mallory to inquire about Lauren coaching the sport. Shawn and Geibel Catholic athletic director Chris Teagarden were also instrumental in getting Lauren on board to coach the Lady Gators.

“Mallory started to show interest in playing golf, and she kept asking me and asking me,” Lauren Clemmer said. “Chris (Teagarden) ended up seeing my husband at a volleyball match and mentioned they have enough interest to form a girls golf team, and Shawn told him he had someone for the job.”

Lauren Clemmer has never coached the sport, and due to her family and professional schedules, has gotten away from playing, but she has used her work as a teacher and knowledge from lessons she took to coach the team, which includes Mallory, and several of her basketball teammates in Emma Larkin and Janiah Darnell.

“It’s nice to be back out on the golf course,” Lauren Clemmer said. “I have been hitting balls and I still feel pretty good about myself when I do that. The one nice thing about golf is you can play it forever. When my life does calm down, I would love to get back into it.”

The majority of Geibel’s team involves new players, but Clemmer is pleased with how they have adapted to something outside of their comfort zone.

“I am proud of them for getting out there and attempting something new,” Clemmer said. “Golf isn’t easy, especially when you are starting from scratch, but they have been able to pick it up relatively easily. I think the girls that play other sports together are enjoying themselves because there is a level of comfort for them.”

The girls don’t have much time after they finish up on the golf course, as Mallory Clemmer and Darnell play volleyball, and Larkin runs cross country.

Lauren Clemmer’s time is precious as well, but is pleased with Teagarden for working out the team’s schedule so she can finish her work as an administrator before heading to Linden Hall for matches.

“I appreciate Chris for working really hard to get the schedule set-up so I can be there to coach while I don’t miss time from my job,” Clemmer said. “We are always on the go. This week alone, we have two golf and two volleyball matches.”

Clemmer has shared her experiences as an athlete who is being recruited with her daughter, which is something she cherishes.

“She is starting to get into that phase where she is asking me questions about playing at Kentucky, and what that experience was like,” Lauren Clemmer said. “We are hoping she is recruited for basketball and volleyball, and I don’t know if she has aspirations to play golf in college, but we talk about keeping all of her options open. She initiated those conversations because I always wanted to allow her to make her own decisions.”

Clemmer was one of the pioneers for girls golf at Uniontown, which sparked interest in the sport for other young ladies.

One of those is Danae Uphold, who is in her first year as the coach of the Red Raiders’ boys golf team. Uphold graduated from Uniontown in 2019, but not before placing three times at the state tournament.

“I think having Danae coaching at Uniontown is not only great for the women’s game, but it is also wonderful that she returned to her alma mater,” Clemmer said. “The sport had faded a little bit in the area, but I think it is coming back for boys and girls. It can be used as a social tool to network with other people. Look at how many scrambles that they have for different businesses and companies?”