Sports
Women’s golf continues to move in right direction
The Pointer
Hshee298@uwsp.edu
This season, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point women’s golf team has a motto: “Take it one day at a time and to compete as hard as we possibly can.” With action, determination and fire, they have reinforced this motto.
In 2008-09, Pointer women’s golf displayed one of their most successful years. Golf is a two-season sport competing in the fall for conference championships and in the spring for nationals. Not only did the Pointer women steal conference last year, they also earned National Runner-Up at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships at the Wanamaker PGA Golf Club in Florida, according to the Web site athletics.uwsp.edu.
After the loss of senior Amanda Dlugopolski, freshman Nacheynah Green and sophomore Michelle Pescavis following the 2008-09 seasons, the remaining team was faced with a challenge to live up to the standards presented by last year’s team. This challenge was met without a flinch by senior returner Jessica Urban and sophomore Danelle Olsen.
“Jessica and Danelle come from one of the best teams in the country last year and have shown a lot of leadership in the challenge, the up- hill battle, we’ve had to face this season. They need to be commended; both have been unbelievable,” said head coach Matt Interbartolo.
The fact that Urban was returning with a second team All-American honor from the previous season didn’t hurt the confidence of the team either.
The uphill battle Interbartolo refers to is that instead of regular five-player rosters, Pointer women’s golf only has four. The disadvantage comes with the fact that each five-player team gets to drop one score and only count the best four.
“To not have a drop score is a huge issue but a testament for the girls on my team. They never feel sorry for themselves and have done really well,” Interbartolo said.
And the top four scores at each game lately have been, in general, not worth dropping anyway, displaying the strength this team is building up. Interbartolo confirmed their growth when he gave his perspective of the team making a steady and consistent improvement all season. He hopes this will continue right into their conference tournament this weekend.
He also hopes for a full roster with the potential return of Nesheynah Green for the spring season. Interbartolo wants that build to heighten through the year and into the next so that the team may once again capture a place at nationals.
With freshman newcomer Mary Donohue, who took second at their home tournament last weekend, and Olivia Sheifelbein, who is a “great young competitor,” according to Interbartolo, this tall task seems absolutely reasonable.
It does not take much for these four girls to keep focused and determined. As the weekend nears, so does the fact that a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship is nothing their courage can’t handle as they remember to take it one day at a time and to compete as hard as they possibly can.
