{"id":1204,"date":"2018-06-26T16:51:09","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T16:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/yearbook\/?page_id=1204"},"modified":"2019-06-30T22:23:19","modified_gmt":"2019-07-01T03:23:19","slug":"womens-golf-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/yearbook\/2018\/06\/26\/womens-golf-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Golf 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Dianah Hidzi<\/span>r<\/span><\/p>\n

It was another year of dominance for the women\u2019s golf team, which carried over into the program\u2019s rankings in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships. <\/span><\/p>\n

Shi Qing Ong<\/a> was the team\u2019s top player, being named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Week four times in a row.\u00a0 <\/span>In the NCAA Central Region Preview that was held at the Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Missouri, Ong led Missouri Western with a 154 and finished tied for eighth place. <\/span><\/p>\n

That victory led the Griffons to climb up to the 63<\/span>rd<\/sup><\/span> place out of 170 division two schools across the nation\u2019s relative ranking. Ong, who is also an international student from Malaysia, says that her first two years playing with the Griffons has been her best debut in her golfing career yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince coming here, I\u2019ve managed to play my best, and be recognized in all of the seasons that I joined representing the school,\u201d Ong said. \u201cI\u2019ve played my personal best for the record, won two tournaments in a row and also tied in one tournament. I couldn\u2019t be anymore happy than where I am now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Other players who contributed their skills to this past season\u2019s triumph were freshman Chong Yong<\/a> and Megan Fogelson, sophomore Jenna Kosmatka, junior Tiffanie Yabut<\/a> and senior Madison Romjue<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The team\u2019s head coach, Greg Dillon, is extremely proud with how well the students have done.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey moved from being a team that nobody else expected them to be,\u201d Dillon said. \u201cWhere now, the program has actually changed because of the girls; they have proved to be reckoned with. We\u2019ve achieved to close that gap between other schools, that are extremely good teams, and us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Griffons\u2019 top showing came at the UNK Invite at Awarii Dunes, as they posted a team total of 610 during the two-day tournament. The scores that the players have brought home made them finish as runner-ups. Chong Yong finished in fourth place with a 5-over-par 149, her best <\/span>finish as a Griffon; Tiffanie Yabut scored a 157 as she tied for 24<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span>; Jenna Kosmatka carded a 162; and Madison Romjue knocked in a 164. One of the team\u2019s strengths that coach Dillon proudly acknowledges is the players\u2019 exhilaration to keep on going. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs they learn how to compete, they learn how to win,\u201d Dillon said. \u201cEspecially when an individual scores high for the team, everybody else just realizes that winning breeds winning. It\u2019s a cumulative effort that brings from the previous seasons to the next.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Freshman Chong Yong, who had only played in four tournaments so far, believes that her progress as a student athlete has boosted her spirits to win as much medals that she can possibly put her hands on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I\u2019m still very new here, I could totally feel myself getting better and better each time I play,\u201d Yong said. \u201cThe help and support from my coach and other teammates is the greatest; they keep me going to play my best without having the slightest thoughts to slow down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Though, endless support is not the only factor that enhances the Griffons\u2019 achievements. The golfing facilities that are available for Missouri Western\u2019s players happen to be a quality that sets the team\u2019s standards higher than any other institutions\u2019 as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got great indoor facilities at the St. Joseph Country Club, so our players are still able to train intensively during times of bad weather,\u201d Dillon, said. \u201cNot only that it helps the team members upsurge their skill levels, but this fact also contributes to strategies in recruiting new members as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The women\u2019s golf team has used this season to prove that it is a strong program, being able to represent Missouri Western in the eyes of the nation and also to set the tone for future seasons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t