Sutton Lakes subdivision in east Arlington was the site of a deadly plane crash Sunday night.
The small plane carrying three passengers crashed into a pond in a quiet neighborhood around 6:30 p.m. No survivors would emerge.
One of the three victims of the crash was sophomore UNF women’s golf team member Tess Huber.
The previously planned golf fundraiser tournament at Deerwood Country Club continued as scheduled Monday, but it was played with strong emotions in memory of Huber.
UNF Players, coaches and some staff members played in honor of Huber, 20, her father Michael, 60, and her sister Abigail, 17.
UNF head coach Joanne Steele said it was a difficult day for the team to make the decision to hold the event with Huber having such an impact on the team.
“It’s hard. We met as a team last night after we’d gotten word of everything,” Steele said. “We talked about this, whether or not to do the event, and Tess had a passion for this game. They said in honor of Tess we made the decision that this would go on and she would want that, she wanted the best for everybody.”
With this being the second year of the program, Steele said it is hard for such a young program to deal with such a tragedy.
Huber had an illustrious fall semester with the team, accruing the lowest stroke average of the team at 828 in four events and earning an Atlantic Sun Player of the Week in October.
Huber played her lowest career round, 71, at Marsh Landing Country Club during the week she was awarded.
Athletic Director Lee Moon said the event was surrounded with emotions, losing a great student-athlete and family members of the Osprey athletic community.
“It was an emotional day out on the course,” Moon said. “She was very outgoing, passionate and a great player. It’s hard to lose a student athlete and our thoughts and prayers go to the mother. She lost her soul mate and two children.”
Michael Huber was the pilot. He was bringing Tess and Abigail back to Jacksonville from St. Lucie County Intl. Airport in Ft. Pierce after they watched 17-year-old Abigail play in a tournament. According to the FAA report, Mr. Huber was flying a Cessna C310 aircraft and missed an approach to Jacksonville Executive Airport and crashed into a pond near the Sutton Lakes subdivision.
Steele said the three of them were very close, always attending siblings’ tournaments and supporting each other fully.
“Those three just hung by each other,” Steele said. “If Tess was playing, her sister and dad were there, if her sister was playing she was always there. They just supported one another. It was absolutely incredible to see.”
Steele said it’s been challenging for the players to get the program off the ground and running, but that the strength from each other will be key.
“These girls have been through a lot together in terms of building this program,” Steele said. “I think the strength they can take from each other is what is going to get them through this.”
The coach added that Huber made her mark on the program, setting the bar high and pushing her teammates to do well.
The college athletics community was affected by Sunday’s tragedy. Many took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the tragedy.
The team returns to competition February 17th where, according to Moon, “they play a lot more competitive golf and will be missing one of the best players.”
