"I feel that we are definitely going to improve on last season," said Strickland. "We have a solid recruiting class coming to campus who will combine with three returning players. I would expect us to be better and back in the top half at the conference tournament this spring.

 

"With that said, I know that we are still one more solid recruiting class away from being where we want to be in the conference, at the top," said Strickland. "Our long-term goals are to get the program back to where it originated, at the top of the conference and competing at the NCAA Tournament for a national championship."

 

Back for the Yellow Jackets this fall are juniors Nicole Carlone (Canton/ Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas) and Sam Migalski (Manahawkin, N.J./ Southern Regional) and sophomore Caci Lewandowski (Sharon Center/ Medina Highland). 

 

Carlone returns as BW's most experienced college golfer as she has competed in 18 total tournaments and 22 total rounds.  She made great strides as a sophomore by averaging 105.00 strokes in six tournaments and eight rounds. In the fall of 2007, she had a career-best stroke average of 101.5 in four spring tournaments and six rounds.  Carlone also golfed her best round of 96 at the Wittenberg Clash at the Clouse.

 

"Nicole will be our captain this year," said Strickland, "but we also expect leadership to come from every team member. We are trying to build a program where everyone sees themselves as a leader and demonstrates leadership both on and off the course."

 

Migalski missed the entire 2009 spring season due to injury, but was the Jackets No. 3 golfer during the 2008 fall season. That campaign, she played in four tournaments and six total rounds and averaged 101.50 strokes.  She also had a career-low 88 to her credit that she shot as a freshman during the spring season at the Wilmington College Invite.

 

Lewandowski averaged 110.14 strokes per round during the '09 spring season. She played in all four tournaments and seven rounds.  Her best tournament was last spring at the OAC Championships where she shot rounds of 101 and 102 for a 36-hole total of 203 strokes.  In the fall, Lewandowski had a 110.25 stroke average, including a career-best 96 at Wittenberg.

 

"Caci had a strong season of growth as a freshman and had her best tournament at the OAC Championships," said Strickland. "We feel that she has the potential to get better and better and we will be looking for her to continue that progress this season."

 

This fall, Strickland will welcome recruits Emily Eighmy (Erie, Pa./ Villa Maria Academy), Brooke Hamilton (Cleveland/ St. Joseph Academy), Rebecca Kapusta (Independence), RaeAnn Pina (South Amherst/ Medina Buckeye) and Sarah Terrill (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) to his program. 

 

"We have five solid recruits who have the talent and ability to make us better this season," said Strickland. "A couple of the women played on the men's varsity team in high school and that experience will help them in the adjustment to playing longer courses in college.

 

Overall, I am excited by this group of young women and the talent that they bring to our program," continued Strickland. "We are excited to get the season started and to see how much improvement we can make as a team."

 

The women's golf team opens the 2009 fall season by hosting the annual Yellow Jacket Invitational at Creekwood Golf Club in Columbia Station on September 12-13