This year the women’s golf team placed second in the CCIW championship for the second time in the past two years. Many of the players believe the season’s success comes from having strong connections on the team and the amount of support they give each other.
“Our coach puts us in different groups every single day, so I get to play with someone else that’s new or someone that I’ve played with,” First-Year Jama Burch said. “Getting that player interaction between everyone was super great and I think really helped me as a player just to improve my game but also, my confidence level.”
The team chemistry stems from bonding during the pre-season and just getting along as a group.
“The girls genuinely like each other. We spent a lot of time together preseason, during the season and even in the offseason,” Coach Thomas Lawrence said. “Being able to rely on each other and watch out for each other I think is a really important part.”
Another reason for the success is the off-season work the players have been doing to prepare for the season.
“We did a big fundraiser with some alumni and raised a substantial amount of money to put a simulator into our indoor golf center, and we purchased a TrackMan. It’s state-of-the-art technology for seeing how far you hit the ball,” Coach Lawrence said. “Honing in those distances I think has really helped improve our games.”
The women’s golf team also placed first three times in the seven tournaments before the championship. The whole season has been viewed as a success by the program.
“I do think it was a successful season,” First-Year Sarah Bond said. “I think we performed well as a team. We placed high in most of our tournaments.”
As well as finishing in second place this year, the team also produced two all-conference players: Bond and senior Avery Frick.
“It feels good to get all-conference this year,” Frick said. “I didn’t get all-conference last year, my junior year, but I got it the two years before. So last year, it kind of stung a little bit, and I really wanted to get it this year.”
The team is preparing for the winter season and hopes to improve their skills before the next season starts.
“We’ve got to get stronger, [so] we are in the weight room a couple of days a week. We work with our strength and conditioning coordinator, Jeff and he’s got a great plan,” Coach Lawrence said.“We have to do some speed training as far as getting the club head to the ball faster, [but] getting stronger makes us longer off the tee, and that’s where we need the most work.”