Dalton State women's golf coach Jim McGrew welcomes his three upperclassmen to campus on Tuesday. From left: McGrew, Rachel Abne, Erika Wardzinski, and Julia McQuilken.
photo by Dalton State
The first Dalton State women’s golfers arrived on campus Tuesday. “This is an exciting time for Dalton State golf,” Lady Roadrunner coach Jim McGrew said as he sees the season beginning to take shape. “It’s been a fun year recruiting all of these athletes and I cannot wait to start the 2014-15 season.”
McGrew welcomed Rachel Rebne, Erika Wardzinski, and Julia McQilken to campus Tuesday. All three are quality players who already have college experience.
Rebne is a 2013 graduate of Heritage High School in Fort Oglethorpe.
The sophomore started her career at Berry College where she was named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association All American Scholar. She had an 85.29 average for Berry with two top 10 finishes.
Wardzinski and McQuilken are juniors. They were teammates at Seminole State in Sanford, Fl. The Lady Raiders have a highly recognized junior college women’s golf program.
Wardzinski is a graduate of Durant High in Valrico, Fl. She was a 2012 junior college All American and was #5 individually in the 2012 JUCO national tournament.
McQuilken was a two time All American at Riverview High in the Tampa area.
Three incoming freshmen will also be key to the 2014-2015 Lady Roadrunners.
Ashley McDonald from Gordon Lee High in Chickamauga was low medialist in the 2014 Class A public schools sectional this spring. Her 70 was even more remarkable considering her recovery from an ACL injury suffered during the softball season last fall.
Caroline Griffin and Taylor Marie Griner are long-time friends from South Georgia. Griffin starred for Tift Area Academy in Tifton and Griner excelled for Colquitt County High in Moultrie.
Women’s golf will tee off the first season ever on September 15th and 16th at the Coastal Georgia Invitational at the Pine Lakes course at the Jekyll Island Golf Club. The fall schedule then includes October 13th and 14th action in the Lee University Lady Flames shootout at Cleveland (TN) Country Club.
The Lady Roadrunners play in the Chic-Fil-A Collegiate Invitational on October 20th and 21st at Stonebridge Golf Club in Rome. The team will finish the fall portion of the schedule on October 27th and 28th in the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship Fall Preview at Savannah Quarters in Pooler, Ga.
Dalton State athletics will begin competing in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) this season. The Savannah Quarters golf course will host the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championships in May.