2007-'08
SEASON OUTLOOK
Fifth-year women’s golf coach Tom O’Connor has a new problem on his hands as he enters the 2007 season, and it’s a good problem to have. In fact, it’s one he has worked hard to create.
“I’ve got to double my tee times at practice and find ways to get 11 players into tournaments,” says O’Connor. “We finally have some depth and will have some competition for spots on the traveling roster.”
O’Connor’s teams have struggled with numbers for the past two seasons, as class conflicts and injuries have often limited him to having just four or five players available for tournaments.
But his strong recruiting class has given him an 11-player roster that includes one senior, one junior, one sophomore and eight – count ‘em eight – freshmen.
“We will be very young but there is a lot of talent on this team,” says O’Connor. “I expect some of the freshmen to make an immediate impact this fall and make us very competitive in our region.”
Senior Jessica Sucich and junior Joanna Ward are the veterans and leaders of the team.
Sucich has lettered each of her three years at USF and finished in a tie for ninth place at the NAIA Region VII meet as a sophomore in 2005.
“Jessica is capable of having a great senior season,” says O’Connor. “I really look for her to provide leadership to our younger players.”
Ward was the Lady Saints’ No. 1 player as a sophomore and played at No. 1 for much of the spring season as a freshman. She either led or shared the team lead in eight of the 10 matches that she played as a junior, with a low round of 80 on the first day of the USF Spring Invitational at Broken Arrow Golf Club in Lockport.
“Joanna was our best player and most consistent player a year ago, and I look for her to lead us again this season,” says O’Connor. “She is certainly capable of shooting in the 70’s and should challenge for medalist honors at some tourneys this fall and spring. Nobody works harder at her game than Joanna does.”
The other lone returnee is sophomore Raquel DeBartolo. She averaged 97.8 strokes per round as a freshman with a low score of 86 at the Lady Saints Fall Invitational at Broken Arrow last September. She and Sucich were the only two players to participate in every tournament last year.
“Raquel will be pushed by some of the freshmen this year and that should improve her game,” adds O’Connor. “She showed a lot of potential last year during her freshman season.”
The freshmen are all local products from the Chicago area, with two from nearby Lincoln-Way East High, one from Lincoln-Way Central and one from Plainfield South. Two more hail from Queen of Peace High in Burbank and the others come from Downers Grove South and Wheaton St. Francis.
O’Connor expects Plainfield South alumna Rachael Anderson to be one of the first freshmen to make a name for herself this season. He also hopes to see Lincoln-Way East grads Vicky McGowan and Ariel Jagmin contend for low score from time to time during their rookie seasons.
“Anderson, McGowan and Jagmin all have a lot of tourney experience for their age,” says O’Connor, “so I don’t think the tougher competition and the longer golf courses will make too much of a difference in what they score.”
The other frosh include Katy Doolan from Downers Grove South, Cindy Dowell and Michala Mika from Queen of Peace, Liz Eldridge from Wheaton St. Francis and Lindsey Karlson from Lincoln-Way Central.
“I am really looking forward to seeing these girls compete for spots on the team this fall,” says O’Connor. “The competition will not only be good for our freshmen but also for our seasoned veterans.”
Those who don’t qualify for tournament play will get some experience when O’Connor enters a junior varsity team in selected meets.
The schedule is very similar to last season’s but the travel will be less and the courses just a little more familiar.
“We get to play host to three tournaments this fall and that should be a big opportunity for us,” says O’Connor. “In addition to our annual Fall Classic, we host the conference (Illinois-Michigan-Indiana Conference) meet and the Region VII meet, all at Broken Arrow.
“Our focus will be on week-to-week improvement so that we can play our home course extremely well and compete for championships in both the conference and region tournaments. It’s a tall order for such a young team but I know we are capable of stepping up to that challenge.”
