Harper is no stranger to leadership, as she held the position of captain as a junior and has been one of the most consistent scorers for the Jeffs in recent history. Harper claimed the 2006 individual NESCAC crown while leading the Jeffs to a third-place finish; she was also named a 2005 All-American scholar by the National Golf Coaches of America for both her academic achievements and her golfing accomplishments.
Harper will be joined by juniors Kristin Beneski, Katherine Kelly and Ali Berman. Kelly and Berman return from semesters abroad and are looking to make significant contributions right off the bat. With six tournaments during the spring season, the entire roster can look forward to contributing to the team's success.
The Jeffs welcomed three new recruits for 2006-07, which helped to lessen the blow of losing Kelly and Berman during the fall season. The newcomers arrived at Amherst with plenty of tournament experience and brought a competitive attitude to the team that the Jeffs have not had since their third place finish in the 2002 NCAA Championship. They were quick to contribute, stepping in for the missing juniors and posting several solid rounds for the Jeffs.
First-years Jordan Chafetz, Alex Chang-Graham and Kinne Schwartz demonstrated their ability to compete with the best in Div. III. They also showed that they can adapt, as evidenced by Chang-Graham's impressive single round improvement from her first to last tournament. However, Chang-Graham will be missing from the spring roster due to her commitment to the Amherst softball team. Luckily for the Jeffs, a new competitor is raring to play on the squad. Sophomore Amanda Otieno, widely known for her skills on the basketball court, will vie for a place in the Amherst lineup.
Otieno will join Chafetz, who shot below 90 on two occasions while providing consistent scores for the squad week in and week out. Rounding out the younger players is first-year Schwartz, who exceeded all expectations and posted the second lowest totals on the team. She proved her ability to go low shooting a blistering 76 while competing against some of the toughest competition on the East Coast.
With the help of the first-years, the Jeffs were able to make a significant mark during the Northeast and NESCAC action. The team placed third in the annual NESCAC Championship due to the leadership of tournament champion Harper and the solid efforts of the first-years. The Jeffs also grabbed fourth place in the Wellesley Invitational. With a packed upcoming schedule that includes tournament action over their spring break trip to Jekyll Island, Ga., the spring slate appears ready for the taking.
While in Georgia, the Jeffs will look to improve their unity and regain their feel for the game. Also, due to constant off-season communication, this year's team will continue to benefit from the unity and positive leadership that was emphasized by the team leaders in the fall season. With a veteran core returning-including the missing juniors from the fall season-and three promising first-years ready to continue to improve, the Jeffs will approach the spring season as an opportunity to prove to themselves and to others that they are ready, willing and able to compete at a high level with the rest of Div. III women's golf.