Women's Golf 2007-08 Season Preview
Richard
Warren's first year on the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Ratings Committee
was a bittersweet experience. The seventh year Pacific head coach made
his first trip back to the national tournament, but went without bringing
his team.
After winning three straight Northwest Conference championships between 2004 and 2006, the Boxers hit a bump in the road and slipped to fifth place finish last season. Puget Sound took the conference's first automatic team berth to the national tournament.
"I told the girls that I don't want to get onto that plane for nationals by myself," Warren said. "I want to go with a team, and that's one of their goals. They don't want me going by myself."
This year, Warren thinks he has the pieces to go back to Waverly, Iowa, this May with the Boxers in tow. "We have a good mixture of youth and experience and we will be back as strong as we have ever been," Warren said. "I think that we are more talented than the three teams that won the championship. We have some girls who have a lot of drive and a lot of heart. I think that we could be set for another run."
It's a bold prediction for Warren, but justified based on the experienced level of his squad. The core of returners, led by Kelly Hartley (Sr., Tualatin, Ore.) and Jasmine Ching (So., Hilo, Hawaii), all put in a healthy amount of practice rounds during the summer. The core is bolstered by the addition of a pair of experienced junior golfers in Valerie Kitimori (Fr., Hilo, Hawaii) and Tami Park (Fr., Hilo, Hawaii).
"In the past we have had new girls who had played some but not a lot, so we were always piecing things together," Warren said. "Now we don't have to piece things together. We have six or seven girls who have played a lot of golf and have a lot of commitment to our program."
Ching finished her season by earning All-NWC honors thanks to a fifth place finish at the NWC Championship tournament, but was disappointed with how her season ended. After winning her first collegiate tournament to begin the season, Ching struggled as she learned the nuances of the college game.
"Jasmine understands what it takes now and what this program is all about and what it will take to get it done," Warren said. "She's got a lot of drive and wants to make up for finishing on a bad note."
Hartley,
meanwhile, will aim to return to the top after missing All-NWC honors in
2007. Hartley did not have a bad season, finishing no worse than 10th in
any of the Boxers' spring tournament. She finished in 10th place at the
NWC Championships.
"Kelly had a tough year because she became a captain and took a lot of things to heart," Warren said. "She didn't allow herself to relax and play her game. She's back and she's ready to go."
LeAnna Nash (Jr., Bend, Ore.), Lindsey Huston (Jr., Waldport, Ore.), Lauren Yoshimura (Jr., Aiea, Hawaii) and Kari Schroeder (So., Vancouver, Wash.) make up the rest of the talented core of returners.
Warren kept his recruiting list fairly short, but picked up a pair of talented freshmen that came from the same Hawaii high school program as Ching. Both players could figure into the mix early as they learn the college game. Park averaged around 79 per round for her senior year, while Kitimori shot in the low to mid 80s for 18 holes.
"Both Tami and Valerie are comfortable with where they are and where their game is," Warren said. "They played a lot of junior golf, which is a big plus. I think they may be two of the better freshmen I have ever had."