TicketsFeb. 23, 2011
By Rachel Hundley
GoBEARCATS.com
The University of Cincinnati women's golf team ended its 2010 fall campaign on a high note, and head coach Janet Carl hopes to see more of the same competitiveness and vigor from her squad when the Bearcats open their spring schedule Feb. 27-28 at the Cards Challenge in Westin, Fla.
At the FIU Pat Bradley Invitational in Fort Meyers, Fla. at the Pelican Preserve and Country Club last fall, UC finished seventh in the field and set a three-day school record after shooting rounds of 304-298-299=901. Carl expects the Bearcats to pick up right where they left off this spring.
"Hopefully that was a sign of what we have to look forward to," Carl said. "We went through a lot of illness and injury this fall. Luckily, towards the end of the season we got it all under control and started putting things altogether."
With a youthful team that includes four freshmen and four sophomores, the Bearcats will heavily rely on their two lone seniors for guidance and leadership this spring. Bambee Dela Paz (Caloocan City, Philippines/Miriam College) and Jenny Linville (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) sufficiently fill the holes of experience for UC, and Carl has no doubt in their ability to carry the burden for the remainder of the season.
"Our two seniors (Dela Paz and Linville) had two of the best falls they have ever had," Carl said. "Sometimes with seniors and how our season is split, they get sidetracked focusing on graduation and what their futures hold, but these two have been great this season. Bambee is obviously one of the best golfers to ever come through this program, and I expect a lot out of her this spring."
With just two seniors, some of the youngest Bearcat golfers will look to set the pace and the tone for the 2011 spring portion of the schedule. Freshmen Olivia Dose (Goteborg, Sweden/Goteborg Hogre Samskola) and Andrea Malek (Tibro, Sweden/Klippans Gymnasieskola) have already made an impact on the program in their rookie seasons with two of the brightest futures for UC.
Sophomore Sage Roth is also a new face for UC this season. Carl noticed that Roth, a transfer from Tulane, brought with her a new attitude and new perspective to the team.
"Being a transfer from Tulane, which is the 16th-ranked team in the country, she (Roth) brought a whole new awareness to the team itself and opened their eyes to all the resources our golfers have available to them," Carl said. "They all stepped back and reevaluated everything during the off-season, and they worked as hard this winter as I've ever seen a team work."
The Bearcats not only have their coach's confidence, they also have confidence and high expectations for themselves. The team persistently set goals throughout the off-season higher than any of her teams have ever set, according to Carl, and they are on the verge of being able to accomplish those goals. Carl knows that the talent and the depth are in place for her team to find success in the remainder of this season and in the future.
"I have four or five girls who could probably win any tournament if they stick to their game plan," Carl said. "We've never been this deep before. We have so many that can do so much."