MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University golf team is ready for their first event of the 2018-19 season. After a year of collegiate coaching under his belt, MMU Head Golf Coach Rob Elliott looks to continue the success his team had in 2017-18 with a new group of golfers this season.
In 2017, the Blue Angels broke multiple records across the board. A number of individual records like lowest individual score in a round and a season. MMU was also able to tie their lowest team score in their final event of the season.
This season, the Blue Angels will add a few new faces this season and return Haley Jacquez (Jr./Oakley, Calif.) and Kalie Cook (So./Fairborn, Ohio). Both Jacquez and Cook show definite signs of improvement toward the seasons end in 2017 and look to continue that trend in the coming fall campaign.
Coach Rob Elliott will add two more golfers to his roster with Kirsten George (So./Fairborn, Ohio) and incoming softball recruit Taylor Heinbuecher (Fr./Sycamore, Ill.). The two are excited for the new challenge and their new coach knows the goal for the fresher players.
"Basically I just want the kids to have fun, learn something about golf and have a chance to play a sport they can play for the rest of their life," said coach Elliott in an interview for MtMaryAthletics.com. Although making progress with the scores, coach is ready to develop the love for the game in the players on his team and is still looking to add more depth to the roster.
Jacquez finished her first season on the links with an average score of 122.8 per 18 holes. The junior was twice able to finish in the top five in individual scoring in events last season. But it was her sixth-place finish in the team's final round of the season that gave Jacquez her best round of the season with a 110.
In 2017, Cook took to collegiate golf for the first time as well. The youngster whittled down her score all season long and averaged 138.6 strokes per 18 holes played. As did Jacquez, Cook chopped down her average score immensely finishing with a 122 in her final round at Currie Park Golf Course.
The Blue Angels will return to Currie Park Golf Course as their home course in 2018. The team will visit CPGC three times this season and will reignite their rivalry with the Alverno College Inferno three times as well; for the full 2018 schedule visit the schedule page here.
Although still working on building their foundation, the Blue Angels have enjoyed success in their three prior seasons. Coach Elliott knows his team will have to focus on the fundamentals in order to keep improving. The team's core focuses will be "…hitting the ball straighter, and learning how to chip and putt," said coach Elliott in his preseason interview.
The season starts Sun, Sept. 2 when the Blue Angels travel to Greenfield Park Golf Course to take on their rival Alverno at 1:00 pm. Then MMU will head back to Currie Park Golf Course on Fri. Sept. 7 for the team's home opener against Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Check back to MtMaryAthletics.com throughout the season for updates on times, stats and player info. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or sign up for email updates here.
