By: Omar K. Elmore, Staff Writer

Coach Angie Ridgeway is in the middle of her thirteenth season as head coach of the women’s golf team. “I enjoy coaching at Wofford for a number of reasons,” Ridgeway says. “But it all starts with the people involved, both on campus and off.”

With a small team of golfers and coaches, the relationships formed between the team play a prominent role in how the team operates. This season’s team of seven golfers includes three freshmen: Madison Barnett from Mableton, Ga., Ashley Czarnecki from Greenville, S.C. and Grace Massengill from Hickory, N.C. With the most freshmen on the team since 2010, there is a lot of room for growth from each player and the team as a whole.

“Our start to the season was slow,” Ridgeway notes, “but this week we had our best tournament round in three years: a team score of 294, with senior Katy Funk and freshmen Grace Massengill and Madison Barnett all shooting rounds of 72.”

The Terriers finished seventh at the Bill Berg Invitational, and Funk, Massengill and Barnett all shot season or career bests. This finish was much improved from the team’s showing at a tournament a month prior. At the Lady Paladin Invitational, hosted by the two-time defending Southern Conference champions at Furman University, the Terriers finished twentieth. Last place. The Invitational was the opener for the Terriers and showed how much work the players needed. Though, the team apparently hasn’t dwelled on that particular finish too often.

“It’s still early in the season, as we play both fall and spring tournaments,” says Coach Ridgeway. As the Terriers head into the final two tournaments of the Fall semester, they do so optimistically and with their season goals in mind.

“Each tournament that we play has 10-18 teams, and we come away with a win-loss record against each team in the field,” Ridgeway explains.  “Our goals this season are to improve our win-loss record, as well as our finish in the Southern Conference.”

Last season, the Terriers finished seventh out of nine at the Southern Conference Women’s Golf Championship. With strong play from young and experienced players alike, a better finish is certainly within reach.