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Bucknell Women's Golf Team Set to Open Spring Season at Georgetown Invitational
March 18, 2004 LEWISBURG, Pa. -- When Kevin Jamieson took over as head coach of the Bucknell women's golf team in its third year of existence, he was tasked with continuing a challenging building process. Now, after guiding the Bison to their best season ever and accepting an invitation into the Big South Conference, Jamieson in 2003-04 is experiencing something that every college coach must on occasion, a rebuilding year. Jess Hetrich, Molly Campbell and Amy Jones, three of the best players in the young history of the program, graduated after leading Bucknell to a terrific 2002-03 season that including a sixth-place finish at the Big South Championship and a fifth-place showing at the ECAC Championship. Last year's top newcomer, Kelly Evans, transferred to South Dakota State back in her hometown of Brookings, S.D., leaving just one returning starter in junior team captain Jaime Hays. Fortunately for Jamieson, he was able to fill in around Hays with some promising talent. And even better, he has in Hays a valuable team leader who is also a solid ball striker. "Jaime is an example of what our program is all about," lauds Jamieson. "She just keeps getting better and better. She averaged 83 in the fall, her best season at Bucknell. This program is built on recruiting and training kids to play college golf. Not only is Jaime getting better herself - I think she is going to have a fantastic spring - but she is almost like an assistant coach. She works well with the younger players, and on occasion when I get called to a coaches meeting at a tournament, Jaime will walk the team through how we want to play the golf course." Hays flashed her potential in September 2002 at the Yale Invitational, when she fired a then-school-record 74. This past fall she carded a season-low 78 in the first round of the Princeton Invitational and shot 84 or better in 7 of 11 rounds. She finished in 25th place at both Yale and Princeton and took 26th at the Rutgers Invitational with solid rounds of 81 and 82. Hays and the Bison will finally get the chance to compete this weekend when they tee it up at the Georgetown Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. Bucknell had been scheduled to participate in the St. Croix Collegiate Invitational last week, but unexpected travel problems precluded the Bison from playing in the event. Each of Bucknell's remaining four regular starters this season are new to the squad. One, though, came to Lewisburg from an unusual background and quickly began an assault on the school record book. Celine Herbin, an international exchange student from Fontcouverte, France, enjoyed the best individual season in program history, averaging 79.5 in 11 rounds. Herbin broke 80 eight times, including a school-record 73 in the first round of the Yale Invitational in her fifth collegiate round. She finished in the top-32 in all five fall tournaments, including a tie for sixth at the Princeton Invitational. "Celine has the total package," says Jamieson. "She is a foreign-trained player and maybe came into our program a little bit better equipped to play tournament golf. She hits the ball a mile and can move the ball in any direction. She proved that she could play when she went out and shot 73 at Yale with no practice round on one of the harder golf courses in New England. If she's playing well, she has a shot to contend at the Big South Championships." Freshmen Teri Schlang, Stephanie Calhoun and Meredith Kalman have also joined the Bison squad and made immediate contributions. Schlang, who is also a highly decorated competitive skier, had the best fall scoring average of the three with an 85.9. She shot in the 80s in 9 of 11 rounds, including a solid 81-80 to close the season with an 18th-place finish at the Rutgers Invitational. Calhoun registered an 88.0 average over five tournaments, with a season-low 80 in the final round at Rutgers, where she finished 36th. "Teri and Stephanie are two of the hardest working kids we've had here," Jamieson says. "I think we will see that pay off this spring. Some of our younger players might have had that 'deer in the headlights' look in the fall. There is a big difference between high school and college golf. Course management is so crucial, and the players in college really hit it long. "But hopefully we should be past a lot of that initial shock this spring. With our schedule, we see a lot of high-caliber players and teams. Now they can all say they've been there before." Kalman appeared in three of Bucknell's five fall tournaments - Princeton, Yale and Penn State - and finished with an 89.0 scoring average. Her low round was 85 to begin the Penn State Invitational. "Since Meredith does not hit as far as most players we encounter, she uses her exceptional short game to prove that it takes more than the "long ball" to score," says Jamieson. "She is working very hard, however, to add length, and she has the potential to contribute this spring. Her ability to stay out of trouble is one of her big strengths, resulting in consistent scores." Sophomore Rachel Adika and freshman walk-on Laura Bentzen are also improving players. Adika drew a start at the Unlimited Potential/Bay Tree Classic in Myrtle Beach last fall and shot 93-91. Bentzen has a good short game and this offseason has been reworking her swing as she adjusts to the college game. While the 2004 edition of the Bison may be short on collegiate experience, it is certainly long on potential. Jamieson probably wished the fall season did not end last Oct. 18, when Bucknell tied the school record with a final-round 319 en route to a fifth-place finish at Rutgers. The Bison turned in four scores of 82 or better that day, including Herbin's 77.
With tournaments at Georgetown and William & Mary, followed by the annual Bucknell Invitational and the Big South Championship, more scores like those will ensure the continued development of this young Bison program.
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