When Angela Codian, a freshman golfer at Ohio, is asked to describe herself, one word comes to mind: positive.
There are many reasons for Codian to feel that way, as she is the most sought after incoming golfer among Bobcats that have played their rounds at Athens Country Club in recent memory.
Before making the move to Athens, Codian, a product of Jackson High School in Massilon, Oh., caught the eye of her new teammates by winning the TaylorMade Adidas Tour Championship in August. More importantly, though, she gained the confidence necessary to excel at the collegiate level.
Ohio coach Kelly Ovington agreed, saying Codian brings a hardworking and uplifting attitude to the course every day — a trait that bodes well for success come tournament time.
“She has the drive and always wants to do the best,” Ovington said. “Her work ethic and scores have made a significant impact on this team."
Since she began making her rounds on the course, Codian’s trademark work ethic has increased exponentially. Her summer workload this year consisted of at least seven hours per day on the links, whether she got out early and caught a round before lunch or stayed out until dark.
Her drive is not limited to her launching shots down the fairway, though. She lists her 3.7 high school grade point average as “no big deal,” and was a member of National Honor Society and Students Against Destructive Decisions before enrolling in a rigorous course load at Ohio.
The switch to a more up-tempo college lifestyle isn’t always an easy one, but Codian said that her teammates have aided her in the transition, which includes at least 20 hours per week of practice.
“We all know how much time we put into it and we want to see each other succeed,” Codian said.
But if it weren’t for a change of plans, the only time Codian would have interacted with the Bobcats would have been as an opposing golfer, as she orally committed to Toledo during her junior year at Jackson. It took until October of her senior year to make the decision to attend school in Athens, citing its infamous “old campus” style that made her feel at ease.
“Either you like it or you don't,” she said. “I just love Athens. Overall, OU is just the right feeling.”
That feeling is not limited to her campus life, though. Codian has seen success on the course thus far this season, recording the second highest stroke average in the Mid-American Conference, and has finished as high as third in competition for the Bobcats.
Those outside of Athens are taking notice, too. She was named the MAC player of the week Wednesday, stemming from her 15th place showing at the Nittany Lion Invitational in University Park, Pa. last weekend, where she shot 16 strokes lower than the Bobcats’ next-best finisher, Kara Brinkmann, a junior.
Although Codian enjoys spending her free time watching professional golf on TV, saying it helps “take her game to the next level,” she has no ambitions to pursue the professional game when she’s done competing for the Bobcats. Still, she is committed to making the most of her time on the collegiate circuit.
"There's definitely nothing that I can't work at or accomplish,” she said.
my241011@ohiou.edu
