The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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78 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY RYAN TICE T he No. 23 nationally ranked Wolfpack women's golf's spring season started in paradise. Sure, it was nice to be playing golf in Puerto Rico — but it was the comeback and eventual victory Feb. 14 that really had head coach Page Marsh on cloud nine. The 17th-year mentor watched proudly as her team improved from 10th place out of 15 teams at the end of day one to fifth the following round, and then finished with a three-under-par 285 in the final round to win the Lady Puerto Rico Classic team title. Three players shot under par on the final day to give the program its sixth-best 18-hole score in program history, led by medalist Naomi Ko, one of five players in their sophomore year of eligibility on the nine-woman roster. The final tally of 878 was one shot better than No. 7 Furman and No. 15 Kent State. NC State finished ahead of three other top- 15 squads and won its first team title since Feb. 26, 2013. Marsh noted that the most important thing is her golfers need to believe in them- selves and admitted it was great to see her squad finally break through with a title. "The last year and a half, they were a really young group," she explained. "Often I've been watching them get up near the lead, get the lead but never win. … I was taking screenshots of the leaderboards and was going to show them, and lo and be- hold, they did it; they finished. "You know what they're capable of do- ing, you just don't know when they're go- ing to click. … But I know, having played, that always having that inner belief and knowing that it can happen, that's what drives you — possibilities, hopes, dreams. They certainly had a Valvano-style win; it was never give up, and it was exciting." The 2013 NCSU squad that won the program's last team title finished second at the ACC Championships and missed qualifying for a second straight NCAA Championships appearance by one stroke. Marsh thinks this year's squad, while still young, has the right mix to go even further than that one — if they believe. "I think that this team has the possibility of going all the way, but that is something that anybody in sports has to come to real- ize themselves," she said. "After the win, I said to them — 'This is who you are, this is what we are capable of doing. It doesn't mean that week in and week out, you are going to take home the trophy, but you've got that potential in you to be in the last group the last day, or even come from behind.' "They've got a lot of firepower to be able to compete. That's all you want in sports — to have that opportunity. They've got the possibility of doing really special things." Marsh's biggest takeaway from the opening weekend was that after having a clear one-two punch in the fall of sopho- mores India Clyburn and Leonie Bettel, there was a more balanced scoring effort the first time out this spring. She noted that several other girls stepped up at different ■ PREVIEW WOMEN'S GOLF Sophomore Naomi Ko tied for 62nd in her first tournament of the fall, but opened the spring by winning the Lady Puerto Rico Invitational. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS ■ Key Events To Watch • Bryan National Collegiate, March 31-April 2 — The Pack's only spring date in North Carolina is hosted by Wake Forest in Browns Summit, N.C. The Demon Deacons are currently ranked 10th nationally, while NC State checks in at 23rd; there will be several other highly ranked teams at the event. • ACC Championships, April 13-15 — In the Feb. 15 rankings GolfWeek rankings, the ACC boasted five of the nation's top 25 squads, led by No. 2 Florida State. The conference tournament, held in Pawley's Island, S.C., will be ultra-competitive like always. THE FUTURE IS NOW NC State's Sophomore-Heavy Squad Wants To Follow Up Its Opening Spring Win With More Success