FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University senior women’s golfer Amanda Steinhagen/Oak Hill has been named the Longwood Female
ARMS Software Athlete of the Week. She posted a score of 76-76-78--230 to lead the Lancers to a score of 316-318-313--947 and eighth among nine teams at the Big South Women’s Golf Championship on April 13-15 at the Patriot Golf Club at Grand Harbor in Ninety Six, South Carolina. Steinhagen finished 12th among the field of 45 at the 6,083-yard, par 72 layout, and tied for fourth in par 5 scoring (4.92, -1) and birdies (8), and tied for ninth in par 4 scoring (4.23, +7). She averaged a career-best 74.88 through 25 rounds this year, and will find out on April 28 if she will be extended an individual invitation to play in an NCAA Regional, May 8-10.
Question and Answer Session with Amanda Steinhagen and Steven Sommer SS: Congrats on Athlete of the Week. How does winning this honor make you feel?AS: Excited because I had yet to win it. It’s been one of my personal goals when here at Longwood to win it, so seeing my hard work being honored by Longwood Athletics this week is great.
SS: You posted a team best 230 through 54 holes en route to Longwood’s eight place finish at the Big South Tournament. Describe the experience.AS: I love playing in the Big South Tournament because it’s sort of playing against your family, an almost sibling rivalry feeling. It’s a different feeling than going to another tournament and playing against random teams that you don’t usually play. It’s fun getting to play those teams and come together at the end of the season, as there’s a bit more camaraderie among the groups being familiar with one another. It’s always good playing familiar faces, along with the importance of the conference tournament.
SS: You’re coming off of a career best average of 74.88 this year. How have you been able to grow to this level of success?AS: Hard work more than anything. These last four years have been a rollercoaster, and each season has sort of been a rollercoaster within itself. This year I’ve definitely just been pushed by hard work and perseverance. We played a lot of golf in a very short amount of time this spring, so keeping consistent was tough at times, but I used my teammates and coaches as support to keep my head up throughout the season.
SS: How does waiting to find out if you will play in the NCAA Regional match May 8-10 feel?AS: I’ll admit, it’s awful. You’re stuck watching other conferences’ golf in tournaments and refreshing the standings every day to find out if you’ll qualify. It’s really tough for me because I hate not having control of things, so having it just hang in the balance is very nerve-wracking.
SS: Now that your college career is wrapping up, reflect on your four years playing at Longwood.AS: It’s been a really great journey. People always tell you that college is your time to grow, but I never really took it seriously until this year. I’ve looked back and seen how far I’ve come, especially when talking with the coach and the team. I’ve gotten to meet so many new people and see where the program is headed, and I’ve just done the best I can to help the younger girls out and be a role model for the team in the past year.
SS: Being named to the All-Big South Conference Team last year, did you feel any additional pressure coming into this year?AS: Always. I put a ton of pressure on myself this year, which admittedly probably contributed to my rollercoaster season. After some of my successes in the earlier tournaments, I set some lofty goals. The last two tournaments I wanted so bad, especially Kingsmill, as it’s sort of my home territory. Not performing my best in those was sort of a ‘knife in the back’ almost, but I would say that after battling with tendonitis last year I definitely put some more pressure on myself.
SS: Who is your biggest role model?AS: Probably my dad. He doesn’t golf, but he’s always been the one to help motivate me. The pressure I put on myself I think stems some from him. Whenever I’m having a hard time or a tournament is going rough, he’s always there to back me up. He’s been a huge influence and has given me plenty of advice here and there that has helped me over the years.
SS: What drew you to come to Longwood?AS: Golf was definitely a large motivation. I’m from Northern Virginia, so the convenience of the location was great too. I also realized early into the recruiting process that I didn’t want to go to a school of 20,000 plus, but I’d rather have a small community where I can recognize people from my classes. A bunch of pieces fell in to choose Longwood, and after I got here coach, the team and I really just clicked.
SS: Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?AS: I have a few I guess. I always listen to music before we start and it has to be upbeat, right now it’s mostly country like Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. I always make sure I get as close to eight hours of sleep before my alarm goes off, no matter the tee time. I have a typical warm up routine, and it always ends with me trying to make three three-foot putts before stepping off to the first tee. Being able to hit three straight is a real confidence booster.
SS: Who’s your funniest teammate?AS: That’s a tough one, but it’s probably a tie between Courtney Tolton and Megan McCracken. We’ve had a pretty quiet team until this year, but Courtney is a bit louder and can just make trips, like on the way to the conference tournament, a great time. Megan is great at just cracking jokes, and she and I have the same sort of humor.
