Head coach Andrea Wieland led UW-Whitewater golf to their seventh straight WIAC conference championships in the fall. On top of that she earned her third WIAC coach of the year honor. The team is now set to start their spring season where they have their eyes set on a national championship.
Q: How is the spring season different then the fall season?
A: The fall is when our WIAC conference championship takes place. The conference champion gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, which is in May. So our spring season is built around playing in tournaments that are going to prepare us for the NCAA championship. We have only six rounds to play, so we play a little bit less in the spring than the fall. But that is mostly because of the weather.
Q: What are the expectations going into this season? And what are some goals you guys are setting for yourselves?
A: We are just preparing for the national championship. Our expectations are just that we can learn something at every practice and every tournament round this spring so we can better prepare for the NCAA championship. We are hoping to be in the top 15 at the NCAA championship. I guess that would be our team goal.
Q:What are some strengths of the team?
A: The strength of this team is the length that we have compared to other teams, and I think also our team chemistry. These girls really have bought into the concept of a team-first attitude, and they all encourage each other at every practice and competition.
Q: What are some things that you guys want to improve from the fall season?
A: I think we would like to improve our scoring average just a little bit and the fastest way for us to do that is to improve our ball striking so we can hit the ball a little bit closer to the pin. We would also like to make more putts, which will obviously help with scoring as well.
Q: Who are some under the radar players that can take a big leap in the spring?
A: This spring, our number one player, Ellie Johnson, is studying abroad in Spain. So this gives me an opportunity to find a number five player that will be nice and steady for our NCAA championship. When Ellie returns, on May 1, she will still be able to compete at the NCAA championship because it takes place Later in May. So, I am expecting that a few of the players that were in the rotation for the number five spot last fall will begin to be more consistent. Those players are Kellie Shanahan and Haley Myers but I am also hoping to see some better scores from other players on the team as well.
Q: Who are some opponents you are looking forward to playing?
A: We look forward to playing against the Illinois Wesleyan team in particular. We always play at their invitational and seem to do well there. They are also participating in our home tournament as well, and we enjoy the competition and friendly rivalry that it brings.
Q: How do you feel this season should go?
A: I am really looking forward to this spring. I’m hopeful that the weather will be cooperative and that we will be able to experience some nice competition and a good environment to learn something so we can be better prepared for the NCAA championship. Our goal is to be in the top 15 for the team NCAA championship.
Last season Whitewater sent Ellie Johnson and Kallie Lux to the final round of competition in the national tournament. They both finished tied for 66th in the country. This season the NCAA Division III championship will begin May 21 in Nicholasville, Kentucky, where the Warhawks hope to bring a deeper contingent to the national championship.
