Crooks iron Aug. 27, 2008

Schaben enthused about 2008 squad

PELLA—Coach Jodee Schaben will quickly learn if the improvement she’s anticipating from her Central College women’s golf team becomes reality this weekend.

A powerful field of some 20 teams are expected for the Wis.-Eau Claire Invitational Saturday and Sunday, led by No. 3-ranked Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.). Host Wis.-Eau Claire is 14th in the preseason NCAA Division III ratings. Saturday’s round begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Mill Run Golf Course while Sunday’s action starts at 8 a.m. at the nearby Wild Ridge Golf Course.

Central was 16th in an 18-team field at Wis.-Eau Claire last year and later mustered a sixth-place Iowa Conference finish. But with four of last year’s top five players returning and the most promising recruiting class of Schaben’s five-year tenure, sights are set a bit higher.  The 2007 team MVP, Eva Downes (junior, Woodstock, Ill., Marion Catholic Central HS), heads the returnees

Schaben’s 18-player roster is her largest and the Dutch will field two five-player squads in the Wisconsin tourney. She expects at least two freshmen to crack Central’s top five for this weekend. Sarah Paulson (Ottumwa) and Abby Lukensmeyer (Hampton, Hampton-Dumont HS) have posted strong practice-round scores. Paulson was third in last year’s Class 4A state high school tourney while Lukensmeyer was eighth in Class 2A.

“We have a lot of talent on this year’s team,” Schaben said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

But the weekend tourney is a stiff opening test.

“We’ll see if they can go out there and play their own game,” Schaben said. “They need to let the bad shots go and just try to play within themselves.

“This weekend will tell a lot. We’ll see how we compare against some of the best teams in the region.”