Viterbo University Women's Golf Season

As the school year comes to an end, the Viterbo University sports seasons do as well. Some teams at Viterbo have seasons extending throughout both semesters, making for a long and busy year. Golf is one of the sports that participates with both fall and spring schedules every year. Although the year gets busy between attending Viterbo University as a full time student and also being an athlete year-round, these remarkable people have had great success in both aspects of being student athletes.

The VU Women’s Golf team has participated in a total of nine different golf tournaments this year. In their most recent tournament, the UW-Stout Invitational, the team took third place out of six total teams. Just before the UW-Stout Invitational was the Deere Run Invitational, where the girls took 11th place out of 17 total teams. According to Coach Ken Barett, the team’s success has been due to not only practice and talent, but also utilizing the right equipment. By using the proper strategies and resources, the team can practice well for a variety of courses so they know how to manage it when it comes time for the tournament.

The team usually practices outdoors during the nice part of the year, but Wisconsin has a long winter. During the colder months, VU Women’s Golf heads to their indoor hitting area in the Varsity Athletics Complex on campus. There, golfers work with the pro from the La Crosse Country Club who comes in to give individual lessons during these practices. Weather certainly has an impact on the golfers attitudes and success, as Coach Barrett states that their biggest concern at this time of the year is “just being able to play.” A combination of rainy weather and busy student schedules makes springtime the most challenging part of the year.

On the team, junior Danielle Ducklow has certainly made an impact for Viterbo University and has found a balance between academics and athletics. Last year, Ducklow was awarded First Team All-NSAA and also carried an 18-hole score of 82.2 which is the best single season average in VU history. Ducklow had seven first-place finishes to her name last year and placed within the top ten in seven of the nine tournaments she competed in. The year before last, Ducklow earned Honorable Mention All-MCC, MCC Academic All-Conference and earned an average 18-hole score of 84.

Coach Barrett attributes some of the team’s success to their attitude, saying that “staying positive during the tough times is easier said than done, but the best players can do that.” Some of this positivity is due to team chemistry and how comfortable the girls feel together. This team chemistry is established early in the fall and continues to build throughout the year due to various team-building exercises. When traveling, the girls spend lots of time together where they hang out and also encourage study sessions.

Although this season is coming to a close, Coach Barrett has a positive outlook on next season as well. He believes that the future of Viterbo Women’s Golf is bright due to the returning players and incoming players, as well. VU Golf has “been able to get very talented players to come and continue the high standards that others have set.”