Season Preview: 2015 CMS Women’s Golf

CLAREMONT, Calif. – Although the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf program is a relatively new program at CMS with head coach Jodie Burton at the helm, the team has become a conference powerhouse. The Athenas have already won three SCIAC championships, all three coming in the last three seasons. The quest for a fourth-straight conference championship begins on Feb. 8 for CMS, as they start their 2015 spring season with the Claremont Quad at Empire Lakes Golf Course.

During the 2014 spring season, the Athenas posted an overall record of 6-2. The Athenas along with winning SCIAC, also won the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational, which pits the best teams in NCAA Division III women's golf against each other.      

CMS finished the 2014 fall season off strong as they placed second in the Embry Riddle Invite which featured some NAIA teams as well. The Athenas will have their work cut out for them if they plan to win their fourth-straight SCIAC title because of the overall strength of the conference.

"The SCIAC has six teams that have a legitimate chance to win the league," said Coach Burton. "There has been tremendous growth in talent with the league this year."

A tough conference turns out to be both bad and good for the Athenas. Good because a strong conference from top to bottom is needed to get an invite to the NCAA Championships since the SCIAC does not have an automatic bid for women's golf. Bad news because there are several teams that could stand in the way of the Athenas' goal of winning SCIAC and returning to the NCAAs.

To get back to the NCAA Championships as a team after a one-year absence, CMS will rely heavily on some talented returners including reigning SCIAC Player of the Year, Shaina Raskin (SCR '15). Raskin won the SCIAC Preview in 2014 and finished in second at the SCIAC Championships. Along with Raskin the Athenas bring back Team MVP, Marissa Suehiro (CMC '15) and Rookie of the Year award winner, Lindsay Slocum (CMC '17). 

The Athenas are also bringing in some key newcomers such as Margaret Loncki (CMC '18), Maya Bhat (CMC '18) and Cara Brinster (CMC '18) who are looking to make an early impact on the team. 

Some of the key tournaments on the 2015 schedule include the SCIAC #1 Tournament on Feb. 21-22, the Collegiate Invitational March 13-15, the SCIAC #2 Tournament April 4-5 and the SCIAC Championships April 26-28.