Issue date: 8/30/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Steve Berry Senior golfer Kelly Morris, along with two other seniors, make up the core of the women's golf team.

Like any rookie manager or coach, SIUE Head Coach Jennifer Jakel picked up several coaching tips throughout the 2006-07 campaign and did enough in just a few months to help the women's golf team place fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship.

She feels like her growing experience and rapport with the returning players heading into the 2007 fall season will produce better results.

"I have learned a number of things over that last year," Jakel said in an e-mail interview. "But the one thing that stands out is that I have gotten to know each one of them better in regards to their personalities, how they practice, what motivates them, and so on which has allowed me to coach them better."

She will get that challenge again as she welcomes three new players, two of which are college transfers, and another incoming freshman. But she can count on seniors Julie Cline, Natalie Connaway and Kelly Morris to lead a group that finished in the top 10 at least four times in tournament play.

"I have already seen some major improvements in their games since last season and it has mostly been within their short games," Jakel said. "If they continue to improve that area of (their) games we will be very competitive within our conference and region."

The Cougars will see a return of Hood's talent on the links this season. It's not Brittany, who helped carry the team until 2006, but her cousin, Megan.

Megan transferred from Rend Lake College, a recent hotbed for SIUE golf transfers.

"She has a great swing, good course management skills and is mentally focused at all times during the round," Jakel said of Megan Hood. "Brittany was (a) key player for the team while she was here and I don't expect Megan to be any less. They both enjoy the game and love to practice."

Freshman Courtney Hollenkamp will break in with fellow newcomer Lauren Rennie, who, like Hood is a college transfer. Junior Kristin Fischer and sophomores Sheena Collins and Kelsey Atteberry will try to avoid the sand traps all season as well.

Continued...

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