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LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD
KUED • SPORTS
AUGUST, 1996 PAGE 53
Women's golf team experienced
FILE PHOTO
Mandy Munsch caught fire late last season.
BY NEAL SHULENBURGER
JOURNAL-WORLD SPORTS WRITER
Kansas' women's golf team will be long on experience this year.
The Jayhawks lost only two players — Lynn Williamson and Jessica Thompson — to
graduation. Williamson was a four-year letter winner, but did not play much a year ago because of illness.
"The team that played for us last year is essentially back
Waugh
this season," KU coach Jerry Waugh said. "We'll have more people who have tournament experience playing for us than we've had in a long time."
The Jayhawks finished seventh in the Big Eight last season. Also, the four new league schools, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M, are strong in golf.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Nonetheless, Waugh believes the Jayhawks could finish in the Big 12's upper division.
"We are a much better team than we were last year," Waugh said. "Our goal is to finish in the top six in the conference. If we really come together well and five of our players start playing good golf consistently, we can accomplish our goal. And finishing sixth in this conference might just be enough to qualify us for national play."
Waugh also credits the team's reformed summer work ethics.
"The players are really working very hard this summer," Waugh said. "Possibly harder
than they ever have before. That is extremely encouraging because summertime is the time when you improve the most because you are not traveling or going to class. You have time to practice."
Seniors Missy Russell, from Bartlesville Okla., and Anne Clark from Salem, Ill., are expected to lead the way.
"Missy could be one of the top players in the conference," Waugh said. "Missy has as much talent as anyone else on the team. Her results will act as a goal for most of the other players. And Anne has improved more than any other player on the team. She's a very dedicated worker and will set the tone of for the team attitude wise."
Sophomore Mandy Munsch from Hays is also expected to step up. Munsch is one of the Jayhawks' biggest surprises of last season.
much from her," Waugh said. "But she came on at the end of the year and played as well as anyone else on the team. She will be one of the fixtures in our tournament lineup."
"We weren't expecting
Freshman Carrie Padden of Marysville redshirted last year
"She may begin to come around and give us some help," Waugh said."Her summer results are very encouraging."
Freshmen Susan Tessary from Collinsville, Ill. and Jill Simpson of Columbus are expected to compete for spots on the five-person traveling team.
Simpson won the Kansas Class 4A state championship four consecutive times.
Freshman Lindsay Gentry, who played four years at Lawrence High, could be a redshirt.
Walk-on Andrea Schultz from Englewood, Colo., will also join the team.