Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jennifer Lemos A member of the Sacramento State women's golf team practices on Sept. 14.

Golf season is underway at Sacramento State, after both the men's and women's teams came home from their second tournament this past Tuesday. The men's team finished tenth in the tournament at Oregon State and the women's team finished seventh.

The men's team is adjusting to some significant changes over last season. This is David Sutherland's second year as head coach and the team has a lot of young players compared to last year.

Senior Cody Miller explained that Sutherland "has done a lot of good things for the team. He's brought in a lot of new recruits." The team has two new freshmen this year. Miller said he was excited to get to know them and help them out.

When asked about Sutherland's job as coach, freshman Grant Rappleye said, "We've only had a few tournaments, but so far so good." The team finished ninth earlier this month at the Falcon Golf Classic in Colorado Springs and ended in last place at the Giustina Memorial Classic this past week in Oregon.

The team seems united in the goal to make it to the NCAA. Both Miller and Rappleye expressed making it to the tournament as a team objective.

"Obviously our No. 1 goal is to make it to NCAA," said Miller. "Our second goal is to have at least two wins."

Rappleye said he wanted the team "to have more than one win and to win the conference tournament." With winning an obvious goal, the team also seemed focused on friendship and bonding. Rappleye said that the thing he looked forward to most this season was "traveling with the rest of the team."

Miller explained that this was his last season with the Hornets and that he was really looking forward to getting to know the new players and to teach them things he has learned so far.

team bonding. The team has a new assistant coach this year - Kim Coppin. Coppin isn't entirely new to the Hornets' roster; she played for them last year. Some of the girls have played with her as a teammate before and now must adjust to having her as coach.

"I really enjoy being out there with the girls, teaching them what I have learned during my career as a player," said Coppin. "At first, it was odd not being out there playing with the rest of the team, but I have adapted to being a coach."

Junior Brooke Green played with Coppin as a teammate last year and now says she likes having her as a coach.

"She understands what it's like," said Green. "We appreciate having a female (as a coach)."

Coppin said that it seemed a little bit odd for the team at first because they were used to her being on the course with them. "We still get to work together, just at a different capacity. We have had two tournaments so far and I think they can now think of me as their coach, someone they can still look up to and trust," Coppin said.

Justine Chen is playing her first year at Sac State. "I think she is a really nice coach," Chen said of Coppin. "When she's out there (with us) she helps us get distance."

Green said that Coppin is an "excellent" coach. "She has caddied for me before so she knows my game."

Coppin has a lot of faith in her team. "They have so much heart and love for the game, and I am looking forward to establishing close relationships with all of them."

The team-coach bond seems to be really strong between them. The players seem as excited to have her as coach as she is to be coaching them.

"I find myself almost more anxious before tournaments than when I was a player," said Coppin. "I am really excited to be coaching."

The team's main goal this season is to win the Big Sky Conference Championship in April.

Green also said that the main team goal this season is "to win the Conference Championship and to win another tournament before that."

Coppin's goals for the team this season seemed perfectly in line with team's.

"This season I think the girls can definitely win a tournament. They have a great deal of talent and potential and I can see them going to the Big Sky Conference Championship in April and winning. I am really looking forward to their first team win and I also see at least one or two individual wins in some of their futures. It is going to be a very exciting year!"

Amy Lewis can be reached at alewis@statehornet.com.

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