Cyclone Women Tee Off On Sunday

AMES, Iowa-The Iowa State women's golf team continued to make considerable strides in head coach Christie Martens' second season with the Cyclones a year ago and the ingredients are in place for improvement in 2006-07. ISU returns four of its five starters from a team that achieved the school's second highest finish in the 10-year history of the Big 12 Championship. The Cyclones start the 2006-07 season Sunday, competing at the Badger Invitational in Madison, Wis., Sept. 10-11.

"I am really excited about this season," Martens said. "We have four players returning who have experience playing in big time tournaments against outstanding competition. The team chemistry is great and we are fortunate to have the same team dynamics in place."

At the heart of Martens' enthusiasm is senior three-year starter Christi Athas. The Eldora, Iowa native is fresh off of competing in her second consecutive U.S. Women's Amateur Championship and is considered a seasoned veteran among her peers in the Big 12 Conference. Athas tallied a team-best 77.43 stroke average last year and had a pair of top-five finishes late in the season, including a fifth-place showing at the Northwestern Invitational where she broke the 54-hole school record (213).

"You can tell how much talent she really has," Martens said. "She has been developing every part of her game since she was a freshman. I have really seen her improve in a lot of aspects of her game. I think this year she will be a dominant force in college golf. She has the talent. She has all of the shots. It is all about getting everything to fall into place. She's excited and confident and ready to go out in her final season with success."

Juniors Karly Pinder, Jessica Shin and Kendra Hanson are entering their third season as regulars in the Cyclone lineup. A native of Exeter, Ontario, Pinder capped off a fantastic summer by placing third at the Canadian Women's Amateur. She tallied a 79.85 stroke average last season. Shin, who hails from Mankato, Minn., was one of the biggest surprises at the 2006 Big 12 Championship. She became the first Cyclone to place in the top 10 in the 10-year history of the event with a 229 to earn all-tournament honors. It was the lowest score ever by a Cyclone at the Big 12 Championship. Hanson was one of ISU's most consistent players last season. The Forest City, Iowa native recorded the second-best stroke average on the team at 78.96.

"All of our players have improved over the summer," Martens noted. "Karly had a great summer. She was asked to play for the Canadian National Team in 2007, which is an amazing honor. Jessica played awesome in the Big 12 Championships last year. She made some swing changes and was working through them all Spring and it all came together at the conference tournament. I think that helped her realize she can get it done at this level. She kept working hard this summer and she has a lot of confidence and I am anxious to see how she does this year."

Two newcomers will fight for the final spot in the lineup in freshmen Ana North (Rock Island, Ill.) and Pennapa Pulsawath (Bangkok, Thailand). Both have the capability to have outstanding careers as Cyclones.

"Ana and Pennapa both had real good summers," Martens said. "They are both able to come in and make a strong impact."

"We are a real tough team," Martens noted about her 2006-07 Cyclone squad. "That is what we talk about all of the time and that is what they believe in. We always play well in bad weather, tough conditions and tough golf courses. They are a mentally tough team. If things are stacked against them, they find a way to rally."

Players Mentioned

Christi Athas

Christi Athas

Kendra Hanson

Kendra Hanson

Ana North

Karly Pinder

Karly Pinder

Pennapa Pulsawath

Jessica Shin

Jessica Shin

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