By MARK MOSCHETTI
Seattle Pacific Sports Information
 
SEATTLE – Anika Schau has heard all about the Floating Green. The famous No. 14 hole at Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course on which players tee off from land, take a quick boat ride on Lake Coeur d'Alene, then step onto the man-made (and movable) island to hole out.
 
She has even had a chance to take a swing at it on a simulator.
 
Now, Schau finally will get a chance to play it for real.
 
"I've played it on the simulator and I'm really excited to see how it translates in real life," said Schau, a Seattle Pacific freshman and one of the five players who will make the trip to Idaho for next week's Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships.
 
Seattle Pacific and the other five conference teams will begin 18 holes on Monday at 8:58 a.m. Pacific time. They then will play another 18 on Tuesday starting at 7:30 a.m. Pacific.
 
The GNAC will be the culmination of competition for the first-year Falcons. Under the direction of head coach Tyler Copp, they played five events last fall and returned to action in February.
 
As far as freshman Natalie Eklund is concerned, a chance to wrap it up on a course like Coeur d'Alene and take a shot at the Floating Green –  a par-3 that plays from 90 to 220 yards – is ideal.
 
"Getting to play it for real next week is so exciting," Eklund said, then added, "Hopefully we all avoid the water and make some putts!"
 
Before they head out, the Falcons shared some other thoughts and insights from their first season together.
 
 
What was the best part about this year for you?

BRIGITTE FENTON (left):  "Getting to travel and compete in higher-level competition with a positive coaching staff, and being surrounded by a group of teammates who care equally about representing SPU women's golf to the best of our abilities."
 
NATALIE EKLUND: "The best part of the year for me has been seeing each of us grow individually and together. Seeing our golf games and friendships grow alongside one another has been a huge highlight for me."
 
ZOE GARCIA: "My favorite part was getting to go to a lot of cool places, whether that was Florida, California, Canada, or Arizona."
 
 
What's your favorite course that you got to play and why was that your favorite?

SARA RHODES (right): "My favorite course would be Fircrest. I like that the trees align the whole course. It makes me feel like I am on a hike. On the 17th green, there is a gorgeous view of Mount Rainier. And I also shot my PR of 76 this spring at Fircrest."
 
HANNAH HOCHSPRUNG:  "My favorite course was Sahalee Country Club. It was beautiful, challenging, and it was such a cool experience to play there."
 
SOPHIE STAMATIS: "I think my favorite course was The Home Course (in DuPont, between JBLM and Lacey). I really like the layout of it, and the weather was really nice when we played it."
 
 
What is it like playing for Coach Tyler?
 
ZOE GARCIA (left):  "It's very energetic. He's always looking for the positives in everything, and that makes it so encouraging to hear as a player."
 
NATALIE EKLUND: "Playing for Coach Tyler has grown me not just as a golfer, but as a person. He focuses on us as human beings and on our skillsets equally. He cares for our success in every part of our lives, and it truly shows through his hard work and dedication to the team.".
 
BRIGITTE FENTON:  "Playing for him has been a blast. He is a positive, caring, and truly wants to see his players succeed, not only on the course, but in life, as well. I feel fully supported while I'm playing, and he provides positive advice."
 
 
What is the biggest improvement in your game that he helped you with?
 
ANIKA SCHAU (right):  "One area of my game that he has helped me improve the most is course management. Having him around to offer different strategies has really helped me play smarter and cut down on higher scores."
 
ZOE GARCIA: "The area he has helped me the most is hitting shots you don't see very often, like hard chip shots. This comes from him telling me to hit different types of shots on demand, not just the shot I'm comfortable with or like to hit."
 
SARA RHODES:  "Coach Copp has really helped with my mental game. He is a very joyful person and helped me realize that you can recover from a 70-yadr blade into a bush with no backswing – and save par from there."
 
 
What has it been like to help build a first-year program from the ground up?
 
SOPHIE STAMATIS (left): "It has really been fun to be part of an inaugural team. It definitely has been a learning process for everyone, but I think we had a very successful first year and I'm excited to see what future years will bring."
 
NATALIE EKLUND: "It has been very exciting to help build a brand-new program. Coming in as a freshman, I didn't know much about college athletics. But through helping to build this program I'm learning lessons that I can carry throughout the next three years."
 
BRIGITTE FENTON:  "There is a lot of support and enthusiasm not only from within the program, but from SPU and our local community. I'm excited to watch our program grow be part of continuing to build a positive team culture."
 
 
What is your favorite part of the SPU Golf Center – and why is that your favorite?
 
HANNAH HOCHSPRUNG (right):  "My favorite part is the simulator. It's a great place to sharpen my skills and have fun with the team, no matter the weather."
 
SARA RHODES: "I enjoy the putting green because I believe that besides your mental game, (putting) is a huge part of your scoring. I can work on 25-footers or 3-footers. We also have putting tools that I have been using – like the mirror, where you can put the ball in a slot and can align your eyes and shoulders on a line."
 
ANIKA SCHAU:  "My favorite part is definitely the simulator. It has been incredibly helpful not only to see immediate results, but also to dive into the data – like clubhead speed and launch angle – which gives me a deeper understanding of my swing and how to improve."
 
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When you were younger and first started playing, did you ever see yourself playing golf in college?
 
NATALIE EKLUND (left): "í did not see myself playing in college. I didn't even start playing golf until my freshman / sophomore year of high school. So if I would have played a college sport, it probably would have been soccer or softball."
 
HANNAH HOCHSPRUNG:  "I never really saw myself playing college golf until my junior year of high school. But once the opportunity became real, I couldn't imagine not going for it."
 
ANIKA SCHAU:  "I picked up golf fairly late and I never even considered the possibility of playing in college until much later in high school. When I started to see real progress and became more dedicated to golf, I started to see my potential for playing in college."
 
Finally, the five Falcons heading to Coeur d'Alene for the GNAC Tournament each has some specific things to pay particular attention to during the two-day tournament.
 
NATALIE EKLUND:  "I've been trying to push my putting abilities to be their best so I don't lose any strokes in that area."
 
BRIGITTE FENTON:  "I'm focusing on my mental game. I'm looking forward to competing and trying my best to put together a good 36-hole score, all while keeping perspective and having fun."
 
ZOE GARCIA:  "I've been focusing on fine-tuning my game and just getting yardages on the simulator. That way, come (next week), I'll know what clubs I should hit based on the number I have."
 
SARA RHODES:  "My short game is what I've been focusing on this past week. I have been working on being more confident in my chipping and adjusting my putting form."
 
ANIKA SCHAU:  "One particular thing I have been working on is my short game. I believe that being able to chip around the greens and putt and truly what I need to lower strokes in my score and perform at my best."
 
 
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