This season has been one of constant growth for both the men and women’s golf teams.
The women’s golf team started the season hosting their own tournament, The Lady Colonel Collegiate in Bay St. Louis, Miss., where they earned a fifth place finish, thanks to Shawna Fraser who shot a 79, with over 60 golfers participating.
The next tournament for the Lady Colonel golf team was the Bear Trace-Bison Collegiate Classic, which was hosted by Lipscomb University in Winchester, Tenn. The Lady Colonels took home fifth place once more on a final score of 666. Leading the way in the tournament for Colonels were Cathy Colwell and Laura Sanchez.
The Lady Colonels then traveled to Silver Lakes Golf Club in Jacksonville, Ala., to take part in the JSU Lady Gamecock-Fall Golf Classic hosted by Jacksonville State University. The Lady Colonels took home eleventh place in tournament.
In the last tournament of the fall season, the Lady Colonels traveled to Huntsville, Texas, to take part in the Ellingston Invitational, hosted by Sam Houston State at the Waterwood National Golf Club. The Lady Colonels took home a ninth place finish and were led by Jamie Myck’s opening round score of 158 after her first 36 holes.
The Colonels’ season started with a seventh place finish in Golf Coast Collegiate Classic in Bay St. Louis, Miss. The Colonels were led by Josh Clements who had an opening round of 72.
The second tournament of the season was the Southern Showdown in Birmingham, Ala., which the Colonels finished in eleventh place. Steve Luminais shot an opening round score of 76 to lead the Colonels.
The Colonels then competed in the Fred Marx Intercollegiate Invitational in Monroe, where the Colonels finished with a seventh place, and Luminais finished twelfth. At the Crown Classic, held in Lufkin, Texas, Oct. 13-14, the Colonels finished in twelfth place.
In the last tournament of the season for the Colonels golf team, The Squire Creek Intercollegiate, the Colonels finished in eleventh place. The Tournament was held in Ruston.
“I think the team did well; I think the women’s team especially made some progress,” James Schilling, head coach, said. “On the women’s side of things, I think we made some progress. With three returning players and three new players I think things worked out pretty well.”
“On the men’s side of things it was a bit disappointing how we played overall. We didn’t quite live up to our potential,” Shilling said. “I’m looking forward to us improving in the spring and doing a little better.”
When asked what he feels the teams need to do to get better for the spring, Shilling said, “We just need to keep working. Golf is a long season; we practice and compete. Golf is not like other sports where you get a semester off to focus on your studies and have a light practice schedule”, Shilling said. “Golf is year round so you have to pace yourself.”
Look for Shilling and his women and men’s golf teams to have an even better season in the spring with the help of such golfers as Steve Luminais, Josh Clements, Shawna Fraser and Cathy Colwell.