Women's College Golf: St. Edward's University: Season Preview
2016–2017 season preview
WOmen's GOLF 2016–2017 WOMEN'S GOLF SEASON PREVIEW After qualifying for the NCAA Regional for the 11th-straight year, St. Edward’s University women’s golf coach Jennifer McNeil hopes to continue that trend and advance to the National Tournament for the first time since the 2014–2015 season. Eight returning players from last year, and the addition of three quality players, will make this year’s squad a team that can continue the program’s winning tradition. “Tradition fuels and motivates my players. They don’t want to be the one team that didn’t keep the tradition of advancing alive,” McNeil said. “Each player has to pull her own weight, and I hope that last year’s regional was a learning experience for them all.”
THE TEAM The Hilltoppers’ only loss from last year’s squad was four-year letterwinner Taylor Dillingham. The remaining players include eight returning players as well as two incoming freshmen and a sophomore transfer. Returning are seniors Sandy Livas, Isabel Morales, Jessica Tamén and Brianna Vogel. All four golfers, along with sophomore Ana Sofia Benavides, were mainstays in the starting lineup a year ago and will lean on the valuable experience they acquired. Morales and Tamen played in every tournament as juniors, while Benavides and Vogel appeared in over 20 rounds of action. Hilltopper junior Johany Rivera returns after sitting out the spring season due to injury. Rivera was Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2014–2015 and also won back-to-back tournaments last fall. The returning upperclassmen for the Hilltoppers also include junior Shanelle Tafoya and sophomore Bailey Dickerson. Both will be competing for playing time this fall. “Depth is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about our strengths,” McNeil said. “The second is health. It will be nice to have our entire roster back at full strength competing.” The Hilltoppers add freshmen AnaJose Eraña (Mission, Texas) and Bailey Spatz (League City, Texas), along with sophomore-transfer Mirabela Woods (UTEP). Erana was a two-time all-state performer for Sharyland High School and Spatz was a two-time all-district performer at Clear Falls High School. Woods transfers in from NCAA DI UT–El Paso, where she competed in three tournaments for the Miners as a freshman. She was also individual district champion her senior year at Fort Worth Pascal High School.
Learn more about Hilltopper women's golf at:
GoHilltoppers.com
“Both of our freshmen will contend for a lineup spot. I’m excited to see how they develop and grow as collegiate golfers,” McNeil said. “Adding Woods was huge for us. I love having transfers because they have already been through the growing pains of their freshman season.” When asked about the lineup, McNeil had this to say about possible combinations: “It is difficult to project who will play 1–5, especially with players out injured last season. Each player has the talent to travel, but much will depend on who worked the hardest over the summer and who has the mental toughness to get in and compete for a travel spot. I expect to see new faces traveling and a lineup that changes regularly.”
THE SCHEDULE The Hilltoppers will again have one of the toughest schedules in the nation. From the start, the quality of competition is evident with St. Edward’s taking part in the UIndy Fall Invitational. University of Indianapolis has competed in the last two national tournaments, winning the title in 2014–2015. The Hilltoppers will follow that with two trips up I-35 to the Broncho Invitational hosted by Central Oklahoma and the Dallas Baptist Patriot Classic. They will wrap up fall action in Puerto Rico in the Illinois–Springfield Island Getaway for a second-straight year. The spring schedule has yet to be determined as of press time but will be as difficult as last season’s spring slate. “Much of our schedule remains the same from years past, with the addition of some new West Regional matchups,” McNeil said. “We always try to play a tough schedule because you can’t expect to compete with the best if you don’t play against them. I would love to see us bring home a victory this fall, as I think it would go a long way for the team’s confidence and propel us into our spring on a high note.” The Heartland Conference has improved in each year of its existence. This past season saw six teams finish the year ranked in the top-40. That is the most in conference history and makes for a very competitive conference championship. “Our conference has really blossomed into one of the top conferences, if not the top conference, in the country,” McNeil said. “You really can’t count anyone out. The Heartland has a wealth of talented women’s golfers, and it makes me proud to see what we have become.”
FINAL THOUGHTS McNeil is excited about the results this year’s squad can produce and cannot wait for the first day of competition. “We are returning many talented players and adding three solid new Hilltoppers, so I believe we can restore our program back to being a national contender,” McNeil said. “It is the largest team we have ever had, and it is also one of the most competitive, so it should be a fun season.”
WOmen's GOLF 2016–2017 WOMEN'S GOLF SEASON PREVIEW After qualifying for the NCAA Regional for the 11th-straight year, St. Edward’s University women’s golf coach Jennifer McNeil hopes to continue that trend and advance to the National Tournament for the first time since the 2014–2015 season. Eight returning players from last year, and the addition of three quality players, will make this year’s squad a team that can continue the program’s winning tradition. “Tradition fuels and motivates my players. They don’t want to be the one team that didn’t keep the tradition of advancing alive,” McNeil said. “Each player has to pull her own weight, and I hope that last year’s regional was a learning experience for them all.”
THE TEAM The Hilltoppers’ only loss from last year’s squad was four-year letterwinner Taylor Dillingham. The remaining players include eight returning players as well as two incoming freshmen and a sophomore transfer. Returning are seniors Sandy Livas, Isabel Morales, Jessica Tamén and Brianna Vogel. All four golfers, along with sophomore Ana Sofia Benavides, were mainstays in the starting lineup a year ago and will lean on the valuable experience they acquired. Morales and Tamen played in every tournament as juniors, while Benavides and Vogel appeared in over 20 rounds of action. Hilltopper junior Johany Rivera returns after sitting out the spring season due to injury. Rivera was Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2014–2015 and also won back-to-back tournaments last fall. The returning upperclassmen for the Hilltoppers also include junior Shanelle Tafoya and sophomore Bailey Dickerson. Both will be competing for playing time this fall. “Depth is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about our strengths,” McNeil said. “The second is health. It will be nice to have our entire roster back at full strength competing.” The Hilltoppers add freshmen AnaJose Eraña (Mission, Texas) and Bailey Spatz (League City, Texas), along with sophomore-transfer Mirabela Woods (UTEP). Erana was a two-time all-state performer for Sharyland High School and Spatz was a two-time all-district performer at Clear Falls High School. Woods transfers in from NCAA DI UT–El Paso, where she competed in three tournaments for the Miners as a freshman. She was also individual district champion her senior year at Fort Worth Pascal High School.
Learn more about Hilltopper women's golf at:
GoHilltoppers.com
“Both of our freshmen will contend for a lineup spot. I’m excited to see how they develop and grow as collegiate golfers,” McNeil said. “Adding Woods was huge for us. I love having transfers because they have already been through the growing pains of their freshman season.” When asked about the lineup, McNeil had this to say about possible combinations: “It is difficult to project who will play 1–5, especially with players out injured last season. Each player has the talent to travel, but much will depend on who worked the hardest over the summer and who has the mental toughness to get in and compete for a travel spot. I expect to see new faces traveling and a lineup that changes regularly.”
THE SCHEDULE The Hilltoppers will again have one of the toughest schedules in the nation. From the start, the quality of competition is evident with St. Edward’s taking part in the UIndy Fall Invitational. University of Indianapolis has competed in the last two national tournaments, winning the title in 2014–2015. The Hilltoppers will follow that with two trips up I-35 to the Broncho Invitational hosted by Central Oklahoma and the Dallas Baptist Patriot Classic. They will wrap up fall action in Puerto Rico in the Illinois–Springfield Island Getaway for a second-straight year. The spring schedule has yet to be determined as of press time but will be as difficult as last season’s spring slate. “Much of our schedule remains the same from years past, with the addition of some new West Regional matchups,” McNeil said. “We always try to play a tough schedule because you can’t expect to compete with the best if you don’t play against them. I would love to see us bring home a victory this fall, as I think it would go a long way for the team’s confidence and propel us into our spring on a high note.” The Heartland Conference has improved in each year of its existence. This past season saw six teams finish the year ranked in the top-40. That is the most in conference history and makes for a very competitive conference championship. “Our conference has really blossomed into one of the top conferences, if not the top conference, in the country,” McNeil said. “You really can’t count anyone out. The Heartland has a wealth of talented women’s golfers, and it makes me proud to see what we have become.”
FINAL THOUGHTS McNeil is excited about the results this year’s squad can produce and cannot wait for the first day of competition. “We are returning many talented players and adding three solid new Hilltoppers, so I believe we can restore our program back to being a national contender,” McNeil said. “It is the largest team we have ever had, and it is also one of the most competitive, so it should be a fun season.”
