By: Karli Banas
Senior Amanda Perez set a new program record at the Dickinson Fall Women’s Golf Invitational, Saturday, September 25th when she finished her astonishing round with a score of 70, a new Stevenson University record. She took two strokes off the previous record 72, set by Casey Oppenheimer way back in the fall of 2019.
It’s not surprising that Perez has developed into a record setter. She has been golfing since age five and has been a member of the team here since her freshman year. She briefly held the record once before with a score of 74, but it was beaten the next day by Oppenheimer.
When asked how she felt during the tournament Perez said, “I really had no idea where I was at until about the last hole, I kind of figured out that I was going low,” she said. What was just running through my mind was trying to just stay calm and enjoy the round itself.”
Perez said she was able to maintain focus on the game and took it one shot at a time.
Perez enjoyed the tournament’s course, Carlisle Barracks, saying “It wasn’t super hard, but it was super easy at the same time. It was a decent challenge, so I enjoyed it.” She had played at Carlisle Barracks once before at a previous tournament, and she felt like she already understood the course’s quirks and features.
Although putting was something Perez had struggled with earlier in the season, she overcame that difficulty during the tournament. She also credited good chipping as part of her success.
Perez was glad to not only achieve a record low score, but also to help her team win and celebrate with teammates. “It was honestly just a great feeling. Even though golf is an individual sport, having a team behind you always is great to have.”
Perez’s teammates were excited for her accomplishment. “I was very proud of Amanda that day as well as my whole team, junior Holly Haber said, “taking home the team and individual win was something special that I will never forget.”
The golf season is now over, but Perez is excited to return in the spring. She plans to make her last season a great one, with goals that include keeping her average score below 80, winning the conference championship with her team, and going to nationals.
Perez is unsure if she will continue golfing after college but is adamant that it is a possibility. She is a business administration major with a sports management track and has a strong interest in working for a sports team, possibly as a college golf coach. Besides golf, Perez also enjoys football and baseball, and would love to work in one of these sports on the college or professional level.
