Women's golf looks forward to building season

The Augustana women's golf season kicked off the year at the Central Region Fall Preview in Blue Springs, Miss., on Sept. 3. Finishing 13 out of 18, the Augustana team ranked third highest among the NSIC teams in the invite.

Senior Lanie Veenendall, who was tabbed as the NSIC preseason player of year and player of the week to kick off the season, tied for ninth alongside four other athletes on the individual leaderboard.

“It’s a great honor that coaches have confidence in me to be preseason player of the year, but truly, I don’t think much of it,” Veenendall said. “What feels the best is the end of the season when I earn it.”

As Veenendall enters her final season, she aims to compete with confidence and find joy in every tournament she plays. Veenendall averaged 74 strokes per round after the two days, staying true to her overall  average of 76.3 last season. Her consistency gives the team a strong backbone while also setting an example for her younger teammates.

With this year's team being made up of five underclassmen and only one senior, this is a year of “rebuilding”, as head coach Coralee Jorgensen put it.

The team is eager to build their foundational skills and create a rising momentum, which will only set the golf team up for a great season while simultaneously building lifelong friendships.

“With just six of us, we’re together all the time, on and off the course,” sophomore Hanna Knoop said. “It creates a dynamic that’s rare, and it’s something special that not many programs can say they have.”

With returning sophomores Payton Drefke, Anna Eckmann and Knoop, as well as promising newcomers Joey Koth and Amanda McRoberts, the team is ready to enter the season with the right balance of dedication and young talent.

Knoop realizes that learning to become a leader is essential in being a part of a team, no matter what a player’s age.

“I want to set the tone for the new freshmen,” Knoop said. “I want to create a tight-knit team culture and consistently put up strong numbers that make a difference for us in competition.”

Though the team placed 13th at the first invite, the NSIC preseason poll projected it to finish second. When asked if her team felt pressure after this setback at the opening invite, Jorgensen said it was “just the opposite” and highlighted the team’s resilience.

“It’s how we respond that shows we have the right mindset to go far this season,” she said. “We know where our needs are, and we’ve addressed them.”

The team’s goal for the season is to stay motivated and go as far as they can, starting with step one: winning the conference.

“We’re working hard on improvement, and we’re talking skills in chipping, pitching, putting, hitting them all straighter,” Jorgensen said.

Knoop said the team’s goal is to compete at a high level that positions them to win, advance to regionals and ultimately reach nationals. Looking ahead, the Vikings will face strong contenders within the conference, but Knoop noted that carrying positive mindsets into the season will allow the players to compete with “trust, resilience and composure.”

Despite its youth, the team brings fresh energy and determination, ready to take on even the toughest opponents as the season progresses.