Nov. 19, 2008
Three standout women's golfers have signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) to attend the University of Missouri next fall, as announced by MU Head Coach Stephanie Priesmeyer on Wednesday. Nicola Race, Ahnna Kim and Natasha Darras will join the Tigers in the fall of 2009.
Race will graduate from Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla. in May, where she is the reigning NJCAA National Champion after recording rounds of 72, 76 and 77 at the National Tournament. She was a First Team All-American and ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA with a stroke average of 76.0. Race shot two rounds of 70 last season leading Redlands Community College to the National Championship in 2008. A native of Essex, England, Race also added medalist honors at the Southern Nazarene Invitational.
"Nicola obviously brings to our team some great college experience," Priesmeyer said. "She is a proven winner on the course and has had that national tournament experience that will help our team immensely next fall. It is very difficult to be a champion in our sport and she has one National title already under her belt. We can't wait for her to join our team and help us reach our goals of competing at the National tournament."
Kim is a senior at Pinetree Secondary School in Coquitlam, British Columbia. She is the No. 15 ranked golfer on the Junior Girls Order of Merit and finished tied for 22nd at the Royale Canadian Girls Junior Tournament. Kim took eighth at the American Junior Golf Association Dalhousie in Missouri. In addition, she played in the U.S. Girls Junior Championship in 2005 and 2006 and competed in the Junior World Championships in 2005 and 2006.
"Ahnna, like Nicola, brings a lot of national tournament experience with her when she comes to Mizzou next fall," Priesmeyer said. "We are really looking for these two players to add some competitive scores and some talent to our program immediately. Ahnna is not a long hitter at this point but she is a very steady golfer with a solid short game and she plays with consistency."
Darras will graduate from Laurel Springs School in Laguna Beach, Calif. in May. She won the JSerra Golf Tournament, the Terra Lago Junior Championship, the Westlake Village Fall Challenge and the D.L. Baker Fall Challenge in California. Darras also has a third-place finish at the LaMirada Summer Championship.
"Natasha really sought out Mizzou," Priesmeyer said. "We were one of five schools in the country that had what she wanted to study academically and we offered women's D-1 golf. She is so excited about being a Tiger and we really won as well. Natasha has great goals, big dreams and will bring tremendous work ethic and desire to our program. She doesn't have the national tournament experience that the other gals have but she has a great attitude and passion towards the game of golf that is very refreshing to see. I'm excited about having her on our team and I believe she will be a great asset to our program."