2003-04 Tribe Golf Outlook

03/01/04

- Despite a change at the top, William and Mary golf enters the 2003-04 campaign aiming to continue its success and reach the highest levels of the Colonial Athletic Association. Director of Golf Jay Albaugh comes to the College with a proven history of taking teams to their highest conference finishes. While most recently at Eastern Illinois, he guided both the men's and women's programs to victories while seeing record stroke averages set. He promises to bring the same constant improvement to the Tribe, which is coming off strong performances at conferences in 2003, as the women captured third in the inaugural CAA Championship while the men took a solid fifth.

Tribe Men's Golf
The Tribe men are coming off a challenging fall campaign where the team was battling the weather in addition to the other teams on the course. The entire season was plagued by rainy conditions which not only hindered practice but also interrupted three of the five scheduled tournaments, robbing the team of chances to gain more playing experience under Albaugh and move up the leaderboard in the final rounds after acclimating to the course.

Nevertheless, the Green and Gold posted a number of strong showings, coming out firing in their first tournament at Navy, tieing for seventh in the field of 14 on the strength of Gary Barton's fifth place finish. The College closed the fall on the upswing as well, taking sixth at the Hoya Invitational as Barton and Robert Himel tied for 15th after rain forced the tournament to be official after the conclusion of one round.

Barton, a junior, fronts the team as one of its co-captains after orchestrating a stellar 2002-03 campaign and continuing his strong play into the fall. Barton earned second-team All-CAA honors last season after taking ninth at the conference championship and also won the individual medal at the ODU Seascape Invitational. Consistently firing the lowest rounds on the squad, Barton aims to challenge again for an individual title as well as improving his strong showing at the CAA. The only member of the team to post a score lower than 70 in the fall (with a 69 that put him in the running for the win at Navy), Barton provides veteran leadership both on and off the course.

Joining Barton with co-captain's duties is Himel, the only senior on the squad. Showing continual improvement, Himel capped his fall by firing a 74 (+2) at the Hoya Invitational to tie for 15th in the rain-shortened event. A diligent worker, Himel sets a strong example for the underclassmen with his industrious practice routine and has ably filled the leadership role expected of him. With the ability to go low, after posting a 73 (+1) at 2003's El Diablo Intercollegiate and a 74 (+1) at 2003's Big Red Classic, Himel aims to better his consistency to post low rounds throughout tournaments. His confidence was boosted as the only Tribe player to win in match play, 2-up, in the College's February match against St. Andrews (Scotland).

Robby McKetta, a junior, played in two tournaments during the fall and at each bettered his first round total in each subsequent round. That solid play earned him the third-lowest fall stroke average on the team. He ended the fall by carding a solid 75 to close the Xavier Invitational. Fellow junior Tom McGinn spent the fall studying abroad but is ready to return after a solid sophomore year where he proved he could go low after firing a 72 at the W&M Invitational

Two sophomores, Trevor Brannon and Jeff Steckmest, aim to reach the next level after solid freshman campaigns. Brannon showed his promise early last season, firing rounds of 71-73 to tie for 10th in his first collegiate tournament, the Navy Fall Invitational. He aims to recapture that touch with a strong short game. Steckmest came on strong in the second round of this fall's Xavier Invitational, carding a 72 and looking to improve before rain washed out the final 18. He was the squad's high finisher at the tournament, along with Barton. He continued his strong play at Georgetown, finishing at 4-over with the second-lowest total on the team. A tireless worker and aggressive player, Steckmest brings great imagination in shot making.

Freshmen Hunter Watts and Ryan Price each played one tournament during the fall season. Watts brings a wealth of potential to the team with solid swing fundamentals which can serve as the foundation of a strong career. Price is currently changing his swing and has made great strides. Fellow newcomer Matt Brantingham has a unique swing but solid short game and strong mental approach to the game which will allow him to flourish.

Tribe Women’s Golf
The women battled the same soggy fall that disrupted tournaments and practice but did not let it deter them from a solid showing. The squad returns several strong golfers, including five seniors, after taking third at the inaugural CAA Championship last season.
Leading the Tribe's effort are senior co-captains Ann Schnell and Lindsey Wagner. Schnell, last year's CAA Scholar Athlete of the Year, posted the lowest spring stroke average among returners. She was the Tribe's top finisher in three of the four fall events she contested and earned first-team All-CAA honors last year.

Wagner, a second-team all conference honoree in 2003, also fronts the team. Wagner came on strong at the end of the spring season, claiming seventh at the CAA Championship after posting solid finishes of 19th and 26th at the previous two tournaments. Wagner, consistently among the team's best finishers, posted a 75 at the Ross Resorts Invitational in the last tournament of the fall and aims to continue that momentum into the spring.

Senior Kathy Wunder was solid in three fall tournaments, where she was the highest team finisher in one and the second-highest in the other two. Farr Prickett led the team in fall scoring average with 78.00 after firing solid rounds of 76-81-77 at the Ross Resorts Invitational. Prickett tied for 17th at the tournament, the second highest finish on the squad. Nicole Rheaume looks for more playing time after competing in the first two fall events which included posting the team's third-best score in the Bay Tree Classic.

Alex Hill, the lone junior on the squad, aims to make an impact after gaining experience by playing in all tournaments last spring and four of five of the fall events. She was the team's high finisher at the Lady Pirate Invitational where she fired three sub-80 rounds (77-78-76).

Four sophomores aim to contribute more after adjusting to collegiate competition for a season. Gwen Brink competed in five of the six 2003 spring events with a best of 32nd at the W&M Invite. A player with enormous potential, Brink aims to score lower more consistently. Pantipa Jinphiphadhana only competed twice last spring but shot a solid 81 in the W&M Invite for 32nd place. One of the hardest workers on the team, Jinphiphadhana practices every day with the mindset of improving, and she has positioned herself to make an impact in tournaments this spring. Sayde Murray has become a solid contributor for the team, competing in the last three spring tournaments, including the CAA Championships, and in four of five this fall. A strong qualifier, she aims to bring that same play to her tournament finishes. Debby Petracca competed in two tournaments as a freshman and twice during the fall, but will take some time off from golf to netmind for the Tribe's lacrosse team. As a two-sport athlete, Petracca is perhaps the most athletic person on the team and is very teachable because of her physical talents.

The squad welcomes two solid freshmen to the squad who come in with strong credentials. Melissa DePuy, a two-time school MVP, made the all-area team for four years and will be a big part of the Tribe's future. With a solid golf swing, DePuy just needs more collegiate experience before breaking out with high finishes. Jackie Gallagher comes to the team with a strong work ethic which she hopes to parlay into becoming a regular contributor at tournaments.