Coming off of an above-average fall season, Ohio looks to finish off the year with an equally superb spring season. The Bobcats had four top-ten finishes during the fall season, including a third-place finish out of 17 teams.
“We’re coming off a really good fall season at the end there, and we’re expecting some good things,” said head coach Kelly Ovington. “Some of the players are really starting to get into stride with their swing and feel comfortable with the changes, if we’ve made any.”
Ohio is looking to one of the most promising young golfers, freshman Angela Codian, to be a leader after her fall season; after winning Mid-American Conference Player of the Week in early October, she followed with a three-under 68 at the first round of the University of Dayton Invitational. She placed second overall for the tournament.
“I knew she would be an impact player right away, with her background and tournament experience,” said Ovington of the freshman golfer. “Her swing is solid; it can withstand a lot of pressure, a lot of adversity in conditions.”
Codian, after reflecting on how she played in the fall, is ready for the spring docket.
“I’m really happy with how I played, but I really want to continue to play better,” said Codian. “I kind of want to forget about (the fall season) in a sense because we have the spring to focus on, so I really want to try and play well this season and think about things last season that helped me a lot.”
The Bobcats commenced their spring season with an invitational in Rio Verde, Ariz., over spring break. The shortened two-day event, due to weather, played host to seven other MAC teams, as well as a handful of teams from around the country. Codian and Kara Brinkmann finished in a tie for 43rd for the tournament (156) and finished atop the Bobcats, while Kristen Helmsdoerfer ended tied for 66th (159).
“We saw some great things out in Rio last weekend, and saw some good scores from a few people and hopefully getting on the grass a bit more will make them more confident for the Florida this weekend,” said Ovington.
Ohio’s next event occurs March 17-19 in Ocala, Fla., an event the Bobcats have played well at in the past. The Bobcats finished ninth and fourth in the past two seasons, respectively.
ch115710@ohiou.edu
