April 11, 2011
Lobo Women’s Golf at 2011 Mountain West Conference Championships
When: Thursday-Friday-Saturday – 8 a.m (MT) starts
Where: Wigwam Resort (Heritage Course) – Litchfield Park, Ariz.
Thursday Tee Times (MT): Manon de Roey, 8 a.m.; Sammi Stevens, 8:09 a.m.; Sarah Salvo, 8:18 a.m.; Beth Buchner, 8:27 a.m.; Rebecca Hellbom, 8:36 a.m.
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
If it was a simply a paper chase, minus undulating greens, tee-box pressure and the call of tradition and pride, the 2011 Mountain West Conference title might be destined to fall into hands other than those of the No. 5 seed Lobos’.
But in 2010 the University of New Mexico women’s golf team strolled into the MWC title chase as underdogs only to boldly claim its third consecutive MWC golf title.
“On paper last year, we weren’t seeded No. 1 and we came back with the trophy,” said Lobo Coach Jill Trujillo. “I keep trying to remind them of how it felt when they held the trophy, when people announced our name, when the last putt dropped, and the excitement that we had, the cheering, our families there, and everybody pumped fists.
“It was an exciting time. I think it’s important that they remember all that good stuff.”
Lobo Sarah Salvo also remembers something else about the celebration that came when Lobos held up the 2010 trophy.
“We won and the seniors turned to us and said, `If you don’t do it again, we’re going to get you,'” said Salvo. “We’re motivated, that’s for sure. This is the tournament that we look forward to every year, so it’s a big deal for us.”
The motivation factor this season probably is on par with what the Lobos threw out in 2010. But there is one big difference. The 2010 charge was fueled by Jodi Ewart, one of the most decorated athletes in MWC history, and also by senior Britney Choy.
That leadership and scoring hole, opened up by the loss of two seniors, has been filled by talented freshmen and even though the Lobos are not favored to grab the 2011 title, that’s no big deal for this confident group.
“The pressure might be on the other teams,” said Salvo. “They’ll be looking at us like, `They’ve won it before!’ I don’t think we feel any pressure. We’re just excited, so let’s see what happens.
“It might be tougher this year because we are a younger team, but we know we can do it.”
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“The pressure might be on the other teams. They’ll be looking at us like, `They’ve won it before!’ I don’t think we feel any pressure. We’re just excited, so let’s see what happens.” |
The Lobos did a couple of smart things in rolling to their third straight title in 2010. They had two Lobos climb atop the leader board as Ewart won her third MWC crown and Rebecca Hellbom finished third, but she had the lead after 45 holes. UNM also took an 11-shot advantage into the final 18 holes and held TCU at bay.
“Rebecca wants to win and I don’t have any doubt that she won’t,” said Trujillo. “Once she sets her mind to something, she is going to do it. The way her mind is working right now, she’s not going to settle.”
Said Hellbom: “That’s what I want, and I think I can do it. Of course, it’s not just about me. Someone else might go out and just play better. But I’m excited and the team is excited. We haven’t had a great year, but we are looking at this tournament as a chance to have some revenge. We want to show everybody.”
On paper, the MWC individuals with the best stroke average are Theresa Koelbaek of UNLV (72.26), Brooke Beeler of TCU (73.81) and Kelsey Vines of BYU (74.1). But that paper message was formed by good work on the course. Hellbom is in the No. 11 spot in league at 76.1, but she has been playing better than that average of late.
“I’ve just been hitting it a lot more solid than I was earlier in the season,” she said. “I’ve been hitting fairways and the putter is starting to work better, too. We are coming into postseason and it’s a change in mindset for me. I’m more focused.”
Said Trujillo: “Sometimes players go through some bad times. She’s been trying to sort it out, mostly in her head. The confidence factor can go down, but it never leaves. She has found her voice again, so to speak.”
If the Lobos are to defend their title, they also might need to find their voice on the course as a team. The latest Golfstat rankings are: No. 34 TCU, No. 46 San Diego State, No. 47 UNLV, No. 49 Brigham Young, No. 51 UNM, No. 104 Colorado State and No. 135 Wyoming.
If those rankings hold up at the Wigwam Resort (near Phoenix), then there are five teams capable of wearing the 2011 title, with TCU the obvious favorite. But this tourney should be a dogfight. TCU’s team scoring average this season is 300.63 and UNM’s is 304.01. That’s less than a stroke per individual. The difference in this tourney could be the difference between a bogey and par. UNM won the team title in 2003 by a single shot.
“Last year, we had three to four teams in contention as well,” said Trujillo. “It’s going to be an exciting tournament. It’s all about who can have consistent low rounds.”
Trujillo’s Lobos are a tad younger this time around the 54-hole MWC title chase, but there is a lot of young talent, which has been consistent in posting scores. After junior Hellbom’s 76.1 stroke average, you have freshman Manon de Roey at 77.5. The top four individual scores each day form a team’s score for a round.
“It’s my first year, but I’m so excited for this tournament, to see what happens,” said de Roey. “I think we have a good chance to win. I’m just going to go out and do my best.”
Trujillo said the fairways of Wigwam won’t be a huge challenge this week and she thinks the tournament will be won by how golfers handle the greens.
“The greens are very, very difficult,” said Trujillo. “It’s definitely going to be a putting contest and whose short game is the best. There is no rough to speak of. It’s not like you can hit it everywhere, but you have to get up and down, and you have to make birdies.”
The MWC champ gets an automatic invite to the NCAA Regional, but there also are at-large bids up for grabs at the MWC Championships. If UNM doesn’t leave with the trophy, Trujillo would still like to see her young team leave with some low scorecards.
“I would say it’s very important that we have three low, consistent rounds in this tournament,” she said. “It’s definitely important that we have some low rounds and nothing high, nothing too much over 300, would be good for our bid for the regional.”