“When the University of Akron announced that it would be adding a women’s golf team last year, the big question became who would assume head coaching duties. Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades felt Jenny King, a former player at the University of Kentucky, was the right person for the job.”
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When the University of Akron announced that it would be adding a women’s golf team last year, the big question became who would assume head coaching duties.

Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades felt Jenny King, a former player at the University of Kentucky, was the right person for the job.

If her playing days are any indication, the newly-formed team is already headed in the right direction.

King led the 2000 Wildcats team as captain and excelled in the classroom.

Performance on the golf course is not all King will stress to her players.

You have to get it done in the classroom, that way you can get the job done on the course, King said. If you don’t get it done academically then you don’t get to play.

King said that she was confident her first recruiting class would not have trouble succeeding in both venues.

The inaugural team features six freshmen- Amanda Butler, Hanna Ek, Tyler Etcheberry, Kristen Hill, Katie Jenior and Natalie Sheerer- as well as Tammy Schumacher, a senior transfer from Walsh College.

Schumacher qualified for the NAIA National Championships last year and is a three time NAIA Academic All-American.

To land who I landed for a new golf program, I’m very excited, King said.

She was able to get recruits from all over the globe, Amanda Butler, an Iowa native, and Ek from Sweden.

The team’s fall schedule, which includes trips to Indiana, Tennessee, Florida and North Carolina, may appear difficult, but King thinks the schedule works in her team’s favor.

The schedule came out well as far as a new team is concerned, she said.

King said she felt the spring schedule, which has the Zips traveling to California, Arizona, and Virginia is also an advantage for the team.

It’s a good opportunity to get away from the Ohio weather, King said.

While starting a new program from the ground up comes with many obstacles, King appears very anxious for the upcoming season.

She said that being a member of the very first women’s golf team at the university, is a unique opportunity for the players to make history.

A lot of them want to get on the course, King said. They want to get better quick, and the best way to do that is to play right away.

While growing pains are inevitable for any young team, the Zips expect to remain competitive in every match this season.

The first match in the program’s history takes place September 15-16 at the Great Smokies Collegiate in Waynesville, North Carolina.

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