When head coach Katie Hanneman took over the women’s golf program four years ago, she didn’t put a timeline on how long it was going to take her to bring the Gophers to the top of the Big Ten standings and to the NCAA Championships. Through her first three seasons at the helm, Hanneman has laid the groundwork to achieve her goals for the women’s golf program at the U.

“I knew when I took this job that I was going to be here for the long haul,” Hanneman said. “This program wasn’t going to be rebuilt overnight and there were going to be bumps in the road along the way. But we have stayed focused on our goals for this program and each year we’ve added talented players to the ones we already have.”

For the first time in Hanneman’s tenure, the Gophers have enough depth on the roster to allow competition for spots in the lineup. Minnesota has experience returning to the lineup as well as some talented newcomers who have already contributed during the fall season.

“In our first three seasons, we really didn’t have a lot of decisions to make on the lineup,” Hanneman said. “In five events this fall, we’ve already played more lineups than we did all of last season. We’ve tried to get some of the new players some collegiate experience in the fall to see how our team would react. It’s a whole new dynamic on our team this year and that is exciting.”

Leading the squad in 2005-06 is senior Sarah Butler. Butler is a three-year letterwinner and has the most tournament experience of any Gopher on the roster. She rushed back from a broken ankle suffered last winter and only played in two events during the spring season. Butler tied for 28th at last year’s Big Ten Championships wearing a cast on her foot. Back healthy this fall, Butler won her first collegiate tournament at the Minnesota Invitational and led the team in stroke average at 77.3 with 11 sub-80 rounds.

“Sarah has the ability to challenge for tournament titles,” Hanneman said. “It’s her year to put every aspect of her game together and lead this team. She has the most experience, she knows what to expect and we’re expecting her to have a great senior year.”

Hanneman will also look to senior Jessica Thomas for experience and leadership. Thomas, a two-time letterwinner, has played in two straight Big Ten Tournaments and has 21 collegiate tournaments on her resume. Her best finish was at this season’s Minnesota Invitational where she tied for ninth.

Another senior, Lindsay Somrock, was a late-comer to the golf team after being a member of the Golden Gopher swim team her first two years. Last season, Somrock walked onto the team and played in three events. She’s already matched that total thus far in 2005-06 including a career-high fifth-place finish at the Gopher Invitational in September.

The Gopher junior class is a talented one and will be the team’s “X factor” this season. Both juniors Samantha Braschler and Sophie Stubbs had solid sophomore campaigns and hope to continue to raise their games to the next level. Braschler has played in 14 career events, all 10 in 2004-05. She finished last season second on the team in stroke average at 78.9 strokes per round. Braschler had two top-10 finishes last season and her 70 in the final round of the Inidana Invitational was the best round by a Gopher in 2004-05.

“Sam improved dramatically last season and was a dependable part of our lineup,” Hanneman said. “We need her to play with passion and confidence all spring. She’s a better player when she plays with an edge to her game.”

Stubbs was the Gophers’ top finisher at Big Tens last season tying for 22nd. The Telford, England native, also had two top-10 finishes in ’04-05 finishing second at the Minnesota Invite and tying for sixth at the Rio Verde Invitational with a career low 54-hole score of 227. Stubbs has 22 career events under her belt and finished third on the team last season in stroke average at 79.3 strokes per round.

“Soph’s game has come a long way in her two years here,” Hanneman said. “It needs to come even further. She can be a premier player at this level and it’s now a matter of her believing that. If she’s focused and determined, she’s a very good player.”

Junior Brittany Willborg, who has played in five career tournaments will also compete for playing time in the Gopher lineup.

A group of sophomores will look to crack the lineup and demand more playing time in 2006. Sophomore Emily Brand has the most experience of the group with 12 career starts, nine of which came in her freshman year. Brand started her career as a walk-on, but played her way into the lineup last season. She recorded a career high finish at the 2004 Minnesota Invitational placing seventh. Brand also finished 28th at the Rio Verde Invitational and 40th at last season’s Big Ten Championships.

“Emily was a pleasant surprise last season,” Hanneman said. “She’s a great competitor and thinks her way around the course. It’s very difficult for a freshman to come in and play right away, but she handled the pressure well and that experience will only help her throughout her career.”

Sophomore Kelli Berns played in five tournaments as a true freshman and finished 24th in the 2004 Minnesota Invitational. In addition, sophomore walk-on Katie Bushard had an solid summer advancing to the second round matchplay at the Women’s Western Amateur.

Hanneman is depending on her deepest and most talented freshman class to contribute right away and the first-year Gophers have been impressive thus far in their young college careers. Suvi Mantyniemi, from Teijo, Finland, was the only Gopher golfer to participate in all five fall events and led the team in stroke average at 77.3. Mantyniemi fired two sub-75 rounds and 12 rounds below 80 as well as tying for 29th at the Badger Invite and the Lady Northern.

“Suvi is a tremendous talent who’s we’ve counted on to contribute right away and she hasn’t disappointed,” Hanneman said. “Her game is very consistent and she has the shots to contend for tournament titles in her year’s to come.”

Fellow freshman Sydney Liles and Young Na Lee each played in three events in the fall and both have the talent to challenge for positions right away in the spring. Liles, from Phoenix, Ariz., was the Gophers’ top finisher at the Palmetto Intercollegiate tying for 13th. She finished third on the team in stroke average for the fall at 77.55. Lee, from Tamuning, Guam, finished 13th at the Minnesota Invitational.

“Sydney really came on this fall and gained valuable experience,” Hanneman said. “Both Sydney and Young Na have the ability to compete at this level this season and we’re very excited about both of their futures.”

With some veteran leadership and some of the best young talent in Hanneman’s tenure now on board, the Gophers have laid the groundwork to continue their upward swing in the Big Ten this season and for seasons to come. When head coach Katie Hanneman took over the women’s golf program four years ago, she didn’t put a timeline on how long it was going to take her to bring the Gophers to the top of the Big Ten standings and to the NCAA Championships. Through her first three seasons at the helm, Hanneman has laid the groundwork to achieve her goals for the women’s golf program at the U.

“I knew when I took this job that I was going to be here for the long haul,” Hanneman said. “This program wasn’t going to be rebuilt overnight and there were going to be bumps in the road along the way. But we have stayed focused on our goals for this program and each year we’ve added talented players to the ones we already have.”

For the first time in Hanneman’s tenure, the Gophers have enough depth on the roster to allow competition for spots in the lineup. Minnesota has experience returning to the lineup as well as some talented newcomers who have already contributed during the fall season.

“In our first three seasons, we really didn’t have a lot of decisions to make on the lineup,” Hanneman said. “In five events this fall, we’ve already played more lineups than we did all of last season. We’ve tried to get some of the new players some collegiate experience in the fall to see how our team would react. It’s a whole new dynamic on our team this year and that is exciting.”

Leading the squad in 2005-06 is senior Sarah Butler. Butler is a three-year letterwinner and has the most tournament experience of any Gopher on the roster. She rushed back from a broken ankle suffered last winter and only played in two events during the spring season. Butler tied for 28th at last year’s Big Ten Championships wearing a cast on her foot. Back healthy this fall, Butler won her first collegiate tournament at the Minnesota Invitational and led the team in stroke average at 77.3 with 11 sub-80 rounds.

“Sarah has the ability to challenge for tournament titles,” Hanneman said. “It’s her year to put every aspect of her game together and lead this team. She has the most experience, she knows what to expect and we’re expecting her to have a great senior year.”

Hanneman will also look to senior Jessica Thomas for experience and leadership. Thomas, a two-time letterwinner, has played in two straight Big Ten Tournaments and has 21 collegiate tournaments on her resume. Her best finish was at this season’s Minnesota Invitational where she tied for ninth.

Another senior, Lindsay Somrock, was a late-comer to the golf team after being a member of the Golden Gopher swim team her first two years. Last season, Somrock walked onto the team and played in three events. She’s already matched that total thus far in 2005-06 including a career-high fifth-place finish at the Gopher Invitational in September.

The Gopher junior class is a talented one and will be the team’s “X factor” this season. Both juniors Samantha Braschler and Sophie Stubbs had solid sophomore campaigns and hope to continue to raise their games to the next level. Braschler has played in 14 career events, all 10 in 2004-05. She finished last season second on the team in stroke average at 78.9 strokes per round. Braschler had two top-10 finishes last season and her 70 in the final round of the Inidana Invitational was the best round by a Gopher in 2004-05.

“Sam improved dramatically last season and was a dependable part of our lineup,” Hanneman said. “We need her to play with passion and confidence all spring. She’s a better player when she plays with an edge to her game.”

Stubbs was the Gophers’ top finisher at Big Tens last season tying for 22nd. The Telford, England native, also had two top-10 finishes in ’04-05 finishing second at the Minnesota Invite and tying for sixth at the Rio Verde Invitational with a career low 54-hole score of 227. Stubbs has 22 career events under her belt and finished third on the team last season in stroke average at 79.3 strokes per round.

“Soph’s game has come a long way in her two years here,” Hanneman said. “It needs to come even further. She can be a premier player at this level and it’s now a matter of her believing that. If she’s focused and determined, she’s a very good player.”

Junior Brittany Willborg, who has played in five career tournaments will also compete for playing time in the Gopher lineup.

A group of sophomores will look to crack the lineup and demand more playing time in 2006. Sophomore Emily Brand has the most experience of the group with 12 career starts, nine of which came in her freshman year. Brand started her career as a walk-on, but played her way into the lineup last season. She recorded a career high finish at the 2004 Minnesota Invitational placing seventh. Brand also finished 28th at the Rio Verde Invitational and 40th at last season’s Big Ten Championships.

“Emily was a pleasant surprise last season,” Hanneman said. “She’s a great competitor and thinks her way around the course. It’s very difficult for a freshman to come in and play right away, but she handled the pressure well and that experience will only help her throughout her career.”

Sophomore Kelli Berns played in five tournaments as a true freshman and finished 24th in the 2004 Minnesota Invitational. In addition, sophomore walk-on Katie Bushard had an solid summer advancing to the second round matchplay at the Women’s Western Amateur.

Hanneman is depending on her deepest and most talented freshman class to contribute right away and the first-year Gophers have been impressive thus far in their young college careers. Suvi Mantyniemi, from Teijo, Finland, was the only Gopher golfer to participate in all five fall events and led the team in stroke average at 77.3. Mantyniemi fired two sub-75 rounds and 12 rounds below 80 as well as tying for 29th at the Badger Invite and the Lady Northern.

“Suvi is a tremendous talent who’s we’ve counted on to contribute right away and she hasn’t disappointed,” Hanneman said. “Her game is very consistent and she has the shots to contend for tournament titles in her year’s to come.”

Fellow freshman Sydney Liles and Young Na Lee each played in three events in the fall and both have the talent to challenge for positions right away in the spring. Liles, from Phoenix, Ariz., was the Gophers’ top finisher at the Palmetto Intercollegiate tying for 13th. She finished third on the team in stroke average for the fall at 77.55. Lee, from Tamuning, Guam, finished 13th at the Minnesota Invitational.

“Sydney really came on this fall and gained valuable experience,” Hanneman said. “Both Sydney and Young Na have the ability to compete at this level this season and we’re very excited about both of their futures.”

With some veteran leadership and some of the best young talent in Hanneman’s tenure now on board, the Gophers have laid the groundwork to continue their upward swing in the Big Ten this season and for seasons to come.