INA, Ill. September 8, 2023 —The Rend Lake College Lady Warriors golf team has started its fall campaign and hopes to build off of last season’s success.
Returning sophomores this year are Kenzie Anderson (Iuka) and Marni Copeland (Cardigan, Wales). Anderson represented RLC at the 2023 NJCAA DI national tournament in Garden City, Kan., where she finished 73rd (51-45-96). Copeland started this fall hot, shooting a 75 for medalist honors at the John A. Logan Invitational on Aug. 28. It was the first event for RLC this fall. For Copeland, it was just shy of her all-time best score.
Incoming freshmen include Josie Walker (Massac County), Ellie Dean (Hamilton County), Saylor Griffith (Willisville), and Kaitlyn Coombes (Paris). Walker took third at the JALC invite.
Head Coach James Gray said his sophomores, who were already exceptionally talented as freshmen, came back stronger for their sophomore season. He added that the incoming freshmen are all strong players. He also complimented the team’s discipline and chemistry early in the year.
“They want to succeed as a team, rather than as individuals fighting for a spot at the top,” Gray said.
The season continues Sep. 8 and 9 at the St. Mary’s of the Woods College Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind. There will be other NJCAA programs and some universities there that Gray wants to compete against and show surrounding colleges in the area what his team is made of.
The team travels to Millikin University in Decatur Sept. 29 and 30 for the Dechert Classic, which they finished third in last year. Fall golf tournaments will wrap up in October as RLC hosts the Battle at The Lake, Oct. 4, at Rend Lake Golf Course and competes in the McKendree Bearcat Dual Gender Invitational on Oct. 16.
With every outing, Coach Gray wants to see his team progress on and off the course. When asked to summarize in three words what his hopes are for this season, he said, “Unity, health and growth.”
For all things athletic at Rend Lake Lake, visit online at www.rendlakewarriors.com.