Team confident after Qdoba invitational
Freshman leads way in season’s first tournament
Jayhawks look to heat up as they play in warmer weather.
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
After months of frigid cold and pouring snow, the women’s golf team was finally able to get out onto the green and play, finishing sixth in the Qdoba Invitational in Miami.
“During the winter you can’t play or practice,” coach Erin O’Neil said. “It’s nice to finally get started.”
Freshman Grace Thiry finished an impressive 7th, shooting 8 over par overall. Thiry was tied for first after the opening round, being one of two players to finish under par for the first day.
Sophomore Emily Powers was the only other Jayhawk to finish in the top 20, shooting a 13 over par.
Senior Annie Giangrosso was the next highest finish with 34th place, shooting 18 over par.
Photo by Weston White
Junior tennis player, Yuliana Svistun, follows through on a serve during a doubles match Saturday against UMKC. The Jayhawk's dominated the Roo's in all doubles and singles matches, going 7-0 overall against UMKC Saturday.
“Annie has been steady for us,” O’Neil said. “She’s a senior and shows great leadership.”
With a freshmen placing in the top 10 in the first tournament of the season, the Jayhawks seem to be set with a solid foundation for the future.
“We’re very young,” O’Neil said, “and we just ask to do the best you can and have fun. We’re in good shape.”
O’Neil understands the cultural differences foreigners Thiry, who hails from Victoria, Australia, freshman Meghna Bal, New Delhi, India, and freshman Camilla Svensson, Gothenburg, Sweden, have had to deal with.
“It’s an ongoing transition,” O’Neil said. “It’s hard enough to come to college being from the United States.”
Even though O’Neil doesn’t want to rely on one player, she understands the improvement she has seen from her sophomore.
“She has cut off a lot from her average,” O’Neil said.
The team’s next competition is in Fresno, Calif., for the Fresno State Invitational. Even with minimal practice during the last few months the team seems confident in its play. O’Neil says they have not set unreasonable goals.
“We’ll just go out there do our best and try to have fun,” O’Neil said.
— Edited by Daniel Reyes
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