PULLMAN, Wash. – After about a month of practices in Lewiston, the Washington State women's golf team will tee off its spring season Sunday, Feb. 21 at the Westbrook Spring Invitational at Peoria, Ariz. – the first of six spring tournaments.
The biggest challenge the coaching staff has faced in the offseason is shifting from a technical mindset to one that is competitive. One aspect that has eased this transition has been the ability to practice at Lewiston, which allows the team to practice on grass all winter.
“We're looking to find the best tournaments with the best teams,” WSU Head Coach Kelli Kamimura said. “We want to play against the best so we know what it takes to be the best, and those tournaments happen to be in Arizona and California.”
Each of the spring competitions will take place in either Arizona or California, with the latter being the home of the 2016 Pac-12 Championships. Seven Pac-12 competitors are nationally ranked, according to Golfweek.
“The best players in the world compete in the Pac-12, so it really prepares our mindset,” Kamimura said.
The team's culture is centered around 5 C's – character, commitment, confidence, compete, and consistency. The coaches take these words so seriously that they even incorporated them into a version of the Cougar fight song. To build on this philosophy, each golfer took time in the fall to create individual goals which they have continued to reflect on throughout the year.
“Our goal is to stay focused on this part and let the results take care of themselves,” Kamimura said.
The Cougars look to build on a strong fall season which was led by sophomore Alivia Brown and junior Cherokee Kim. Brown finished in the top-10 at three of five tournaments, while Kim finished in the top-5 at two events, including a victory at the WSU Cougar Cup, Sept. 22.
The team's strongest displays were at consecutive tournaments in September and October. Its three-round total of 866 (-3) at the Cougar Cup was a team-best at the tournament. WSU finished third in a field of 18 at the Ron Moore Invitational, Oct. 11, with a score of 870 (+6).
The conclusion of the spring season will signify the end of three seniors' careers and the addition of three recruits – Washington native Emily Baumgart, Elodie Bridenne of France, and Marie Lund-Hansen of Denmark, who will join the team in the fall. This season, seniors Nani Yanagi, Rachel Lewis and Monica Huang have set the standard for younger teammates.
“They add a lot of heart to the team in different ways,” Kamimura said. “Each of them sets the foundation for our culture.”
Kamimura and assistant coach Emma Betland aim to build the players as both student-athletes and as people. Kamimura describes that being a coach comes with the responsibility to inspire, rather than looking to be inspired as a player. She credits positivity to the team's steady growth and improvement.
“The belief in what we achieve keeps getting better and better,” Kamimura said. “We aim to keep climbing.”