2006 Women's Golf Preview: Carryover from Last Season Places Performance Bar High
August 21, 2006

It was an overwhelming end to last season -- the squad not only won the NAIA Region II Championship, but went on to place fourth at Nationals; the team’s highest finish in the seven years since its inception. With the bar set high, the coming year will be more intense than ever.

Fall and spring will prove to be a busy time for the Lady Cougars, as the tournament schedule is more full than usual. Five tentative tournaments are scheduled for the fall, and the spring season is highlighted by the annual Cougar Invitational. During this event, the top NAIA schools travel to San Marcos to compete. Though the competition will be fierce throughout the fall and spring seasons, it will serve to prepare the team to be in National Championship contention once again.

Within the team itself, competition will be ratcheted up as well. The combination of four talented newcomers with the fact that last year’s team featured just one senior means this squad will be full of competition, experience, and excitement. With the great finish to last season, the ladies on this team know what they are capable of achieving and anticipate stretching their skills and abilities to another level.

This year, the team will feature six active returning players. The squad will be led by senior Jennell French, and she should shine in her last year as a Cougar. French's drive and determination will help her develop into a player capable of competing at the professional level.

Right behind French is junior Carly Ludwig. Ludwig led the team at the National Championships, finishing in the top 20, which Coach Segura says is just a preview of what this young lady can do. Ludwig, along with French, should lead the Cougars to achieving their goals for the upcoming season.

Along with those experienced golfers, new additions to the team include freshmen Irene Atkins (Laguna Niguel, CA), Marissa Reino (Huntington Beach, CA), Adriana Borman (West Covina, CA), and Kathryn Hansen (Moorpark, CA). They will compete for spots on tournament rosters, and help push their teammates to stay on top of their games.

Though last season was a great year for the lady cougars, it is believed that this year’s roster is even stronger, and that the team can once again put itself in National Championship contention.