April 15, 2008

KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State women's golf team, under first year head coach Rhyll Brinsmead, made drastic improvements during the 2007-08 season, lowering their scoring average by nearly nine strokes while moving significantly up the national rankings.

Led by three top-five finishes, the Owls placed just inside the top 150 at No. 148 in Golfstat.com's latest poll, and No. 152 in the most recent poll released by GolfWeek Magazine.

"Overall, I am proud of the efforts of the team," said Kennesaw State head coach Rhyll Brinsmead. "We improved our scoring average and our national ranking significantly, which was our goal heading in to this season."

The team's best finish came in their first spring tournament, the Baja Invitational, hosted by Northern Illinois at the Bajamar Resort in Baja, Mexico. The Owls finished second after leading the nine-team field in birdies (27), pars (37) and par five scoring (5.16). They also had three top-10 individual finishers, as Abby Fitzgerald, Jessica Tarbet, and Laura Lindsey finished tied for fifth, seventh, and tenth respectively.

The squad turned in its lowest 18-hole total of the season in the second round of the season-opening Draper Intercollegiate, posting a team score of 304. Their lowest 36-hole total also came at the Draper, as they turned in a two-round 610 to finish seventh in the large 15-team field. They recorded their 54-hole low in their win at the Baja, finishing with a 947 team total.

Sophomore Lindsay Hagerman turned in the Owls lowest round of the season, shooting an even-par 72 in the second round of the Great Smokies Invitational. Fitzgerald recorded the lowest 36-hole score with her 149 at the Draper, while Lindsey led the squad with her 229 three-round total at the season-ending Susie Maxwell Berning Classic.

"Abby showed great improvement this year," said Brinsmead on Fitzgerald. "As an upper classman next year, she and Laura will be the foundation of the team."

Lindsey also led KSU in scoring average in her first season since transferring from Daytona Beach Community College, averaging 78.8 strokes per 18 holes. The junior from Lenox, Ga., led Kennesaw State in two of their last three events, including a tie for 12th at the USA Lady Jaguar Invitational in March.

Fitzgerald made some marked in improvements during her sophomore campaign, lowering her scoring average by nearly seven strokes. The Owls lone freshman, Tarbet, proved she belonged down the stretch, lowering her scoring average by over four strokes and turning in a team low round on four different occasions.

"Jessica's turnaround from the fall to the spring was very impressive," added Brinsmead. "I will look to her to continue that improvement over the summer before returning for her sophomore year."

Chelsea Bonk led the Owls in the rain-shortened Fighting Camel Spring Classic, carding a 77 in the tournament's only round to finish in a tie for sixth. She recorded her season-low round of 75 early in the season, shooting three-over par in the second round at the Draper to finish in a tie for 23rd.

The Owls should be even stronger next year as they return all five members of the squad and are adding two junior college All-Americans in Ashley Aguilera and Jordan Lazenby. Aguilera and Lazenby were teammates at three-time NJCAA National Champion Daytona Beach Community College, and will be joining the Owls as juniors.