Aiming High
2/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Feb. 17, 2004
By Jay Reddick
The Wake Forest women's golf team has advanced to the NCAA championship seven times in the last 11 years. However, only one of the last three national-championship fields has included the Deacons, and that's a string that Dianne Dailey's 2004 squad hopes to stop.
The team looks ready with balanced scoring and a good mix of youth and experience. Now, it just has to play.
"We have the talent," Dailey said. "It's just a matter of playing like we're capable."
The "old guard" on the roster is represented by Deborah Means, the only senior; and juniors Ashley Hoagland and Christine Hallstrom.
Means has enjoyed some of her best golf this fall, finishing in a tie for 11th at the Franklin Street Partners Invitational in October, then tying for 12th at the ACC/SEC Challenge later that month.
Her rise has coincided with that of the team, which finished 17th in the season-opening Fall Preview but rose to a fourth-place finish at the ACC/SEC.
"We didn't do so well at the Fall Preview," Means said. "We were a little shaky right out of the gun, but we've gotten better as we went along."
Hoagland was a consistently high finisher in her three fall tournaments, and Dailey believes her play will be a key to spring success.
"She's been playing more aggressively," Dailey said. "She's worked hard, and it's paying off for her. She's capable of winning a tournament."
Hoagland said that a look at the calendar helped to spur her work ethic. Spending the holidays in her home state of Florida, where December golf doesn't mean dodging snow drifts, couldn't have hurt, either.
"I've come to realize that I only have a year and a half left in school," Hoagland said. "I do want to play after I get out, and it's made me focus a little harder on what I want. It's time to start winning a few."
Hallstrom has shown sparks of greatness for the Deacs as well. She scored a hole-in-one at the Fall Preview and finished tied for 12th (and tied for the team lead) at the ACC/SEC.
Junior Lesley Jamieson and sophomores Joy Juskowich, Julie McKenna and Sasha Suzuki also bring experience to the roster.
The freshman class includes three players who are expected to make an impact, beginning with Mandy Goins. The Kentucky state amateur champion quickly emerged as one of the pleasant surprises of the fall with three top-25 finishes.
Goins credits some fine-tuning of her swing last summer with the change.
"I wanted to have my game in pretty good shape when I got here," Goins said. "I'm still working on some stuff - you're always working on something - but I feel like I'm improving. I was really happy with the way I played."
Maggie Simons, who grew up in Raleigh and trained at the Leadbetter Golf Academy, gained confidence through three fall tournaments. Florida freshman Jessica Castle also saw action.
"Our freshmen have done remarkably well adjusting to school," Dailey said. "They want to play. I love that competitiveness."
The spring schedule, which begins Feb. 22 in Puerto Rico, is highlighted by the Bryan National Collegiate April 2-4 in Browns Summit. Dailey is expecting five of the nation's top 10 teams to attend, and by then, the Deacons could be on their way to similar heights.
"I think if we keep pushing ourselves like we did in the fall, I anticipate us going to nationals," Means said, "and I just think that with the type of team we have, we're going to end up doing something special."
Players Mentioned
