Golf is one of the rare sports that has the advantage of playing in two seasons compared to just one and that can either be a blessing or a curse, especially residing in Northeast Ohio. Mother Nature is starting to come around and the Blue Streaks women's golf team is too, as JCU will hit the fairways after a five month hiatus.
 
"We are just getting started. We had a really good fall. We are just going to try and continue playing well into the spring," head coach Jeff Camp said on the outlook of this spring. "Hopefully by the final part of the end of April when we have our conference we are going to be playing our best golf."
 
Looking back to the fall season, the Blue and Gold often found themselves in the middle of the pack claiming second place in just three of eight events. Coach Camp on what it will take to get them over the hump, "Consistency."
 
"We get one or two good scores and then we struggle. We never get good scores working together. We have two good scores and then someone will play a little bit off and then the next day someone will play a little bit off. Consistency is what it will take to get us to the next step."
 
Although in the fall it seems like the Blue Streak golfers have fallen off their game, spring season typically has them springing towards the top of the leaderboards.
 
In the spring of 2017, JCU finished tied for first in day one of the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships, finishing second on day two and third day three. Three consecutive days of top three finishes last season is quite the accomplishment, considering the fierce competition of the OAC.
 
That competition was on display in the fall of 2018 where they finished second of four in day one of the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jacket Invitational and third in day two. Additionally, they placed second of three teams in both days of the JCU Invitational and fourth of seven teams in the OAC Preview.
 
Putting aside a few average finishes, the Blue and Gold have a few women that are well above average. One of those women is junior Sarah Beckwith.

"She is a solid player. She drives the ball well. Her short game is good too," said Camp. "She is just steady. That is what she brings the most to our team. We can count on her for a good score every time she plays."
 
In the fall, Beckwith individually won the Yellow Jacket Invitational and tied for first in the JCU Invitational. Because of her amazing autumn, she was named OAC Golfer of the Week two weeks last September. She also notched two top five finishes and three top 10 finishes, averaging 85 strokes per round.
 
Still shining bright while playing in the shadow of Beckwith is reigning All-OAC golfer senior Mary Hunt who placed two top 10 finishes last fall.
 
"Mary is in her senior season so she is looking to have a good finish. Same thing with her, it is consistency. She had some really good rounds in the fall. If we can just narrow it down and tighten things up when she is not playing as well, that can help her," Camp said.
 
Junior Anna Rastetter had two top 10 finishes as well, rounding out the trifecta of the JCU golf program.
 
Camp feels that she is slated for a solid spring saying, "Anna is a good player. Her short game has cleaned up this spring."
 
Emerging on the scene is freshman Meredith Engel, who has one top 10 finish last fall and averaged 94.50 in her first collegiate season. Right behind Engel, sophomore Ally Weber averaged 95.50 strokes in three events.
 
Senior Alex Eddy, sophomore Hannah Hill, and freshman Jennifer Lutz round out this season's squad. They will be lead by Camp, who enters his sixth season coaching the Blue and Gold.
 
The Blue Streaks will kick-off their spring season this weekend at the Mount Union Spring Invitational and will follow that up with the JCU spring shootout on April 6. Both of those meets will feature opponents from the OAC.
 
Coach Camp is intrigued to see how they stack up against their conference foes.

"We are in the top three or four," said Camp. "We are capable of playing with anyone when we are at our best. It is a matter of consistency and having all five of our players playing well at the same time."