SAC Student-Athlete Insider: Women’s Golf

SAC women's golf season is almost here. Recently, several student-athletes discussed the upcoming year with theSAC.com

What most excites you about the upcoming season?

Brittany McCown, Lincoln Memorial: "I am most excited about the SAC Championship! Our team has been playing really well and I feel like we have a really good shot and winning."

Samantha Pugh-Gilder, Wingate: "The thing that excites me the most about the upcoming season is the opportunity to be competitive and maybe we can even win conference. We have a really close-knit team. It is always fun to go to golf tournaments."

Alisiya Klochkova, Brevard: "I am very excited for the SAC tournament. We will be playing in Charlotte and it will be my last tournament as a college student."

What was the most challenging aspect of your offseason preparations, and how will that benefit you once the season gets underway?

Brittany McCown, Lincoln Memorial: "The most challenging aspect was the weather. It's difficult to practice when it's so cold and rainy outside but it will benefit me because that is the type of situations we are faced with during the spring season."

Samantha Pugh-Gilder, Wingate: "I worked really hard over break and I went out and played even if it was cold. This will make me a better player and also improve our team. When you play in the cold and rain, it helps you become a better player knowing you can play good golf in any conditions."

Alisiya Klochkova, Brevard: "It was hard playing inside. We have a net set up in the pool area in our gymnasium and it is great. However, you can't see how far the ball goes when hitting into the net. But, because we were practicing there a lot I know that I haven't lost my swing, and I'm sure that when I am finally hitting outside it will be good."

What are the keys for your team to achieve its goals this season?

Brittany McCown, Lincoln Memorial: "Our team can achieve our goals if we have a good support system and help each other learn from our experiences and mistakes. Golf is an individual sport as well as a team, and by encouraging each other through good and bad days we can prosper both on an individual level and team level."

Samantha Pugh-Gilder, Wingate: "The keys for our team's season include hard work and building confidence. We should never give up no matter what. Everyone needs to believe in themselves and their golf games."

Alisiya Klochkova, Brevard: "We will be having 6 a.m. practices every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They will be about core, resistance, balance and power training, which will lead us all to have a better swing. Also, we will be playing difference courses throughout the week, which also will help us practice different ball positions."

In what ways do you try to serve as a leader on your team and on your campus?

Brittany McCown, Lincoln Memorial: "As a leader, I feel like it is important to keep everyone in contact and up to date with practices and issues that arise. I like having team meetings and getting the team together outside of golf to keep a strong bond between the girls."

Samantha Pugh-Gilder, Wingate: "I am always there for my team and I will try and have faith and confidence in my teammates. I tell them they can achieve anything, if they work hard. I am at practice every day and I try to motivate everyone when they need it."

Alisiya Klochkova, Brevard: "I am a golf team captain so I am really trying hard to balance good relationship between players and our coach. Also, I am a business club president, which is making me do a lot of volunteering for our community."

What comes to mind when you think of the level of competition and the overall experience of being a student-athlete in the South Atlantic Conference?

Samantha Pugh-Gilder, Wingate: "It is an honor to be a college golfer, but to be able to play in a conference such as the SAC is awesome because of the competition and the friends I have made."

Alisiya Klochkova, Brevard: "I have had the best experience all four years. I think our conference is tough; we have a lot of great players from different colleges."