Decision to Transfer to ?Bama Pays off for Gale
5/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
After qualifying for the NCAA Championship for just the second time in school history, we would like to introduce you to the team that has put itself in the record books as one of the best ever at Alabama. These five players, under a brand new head coach, came from nowhere to shock the field in Greensboro, N.C. at last weekend’s NCAA regional with an eighth place finish. The finale was highlighted with a dramatic sudden-death playoff against Virginia for the last spot in the 2006 NCAA Championship, with the Tide prevailing by a single stroke. We will introduce you to each of the five players that will compete for the national championship next week, May 23-26, in Columbus, Ohio.
When Audrey Gale transferred to the University of Alabama from UNC-Wilmington in the fall of 2004, she was looking for a place that would provide her with better competition and help take her golf game to a new level. Two years later the move has finally proven to have paid off as Gale, along with the rest of her Alabama teammates, will tee off in the opening round of the NCAA Championships next Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to transfer, but it was very easy in deciding to come here,” Gale said. “I saw the facilities and I really liked the atmosphere. I was looking for something that was more competitive and had a slightly different coaching style.”
Little did she know though, that after just one year at Alabama she would have to endure another change. Enter Mic Potter.
“Mic (Potter) has been so important to us this year,” Gale said.
In his first season Potter has helped take the Tide back to the post-season this year after missing the regionals in 2005. But for Gale, while still a freshman and sophomore at UNC-W, she participated twice in the NCAA East Regionals and knew what it would take to get back. However, in her previous two regional appearances she never shot better than 233 and the Seahawks failed to advance to the Championships each time.
But when Potter arrived at the Capstone last spring, everything finally began to fall in place for Gale. She opened the year with a 227 at the Ann Rhoads Intercollegiate but then struggled with consistency through the better half of the Tide’s 2006 schedule. However, with instruction and insight from Potter throughout the season, Gale was able to shoot a 228, her best post-season score, at last week’s NCAA East Regional and now appears to be playing her best golf heading into the Championships.
And as is the case with her teammates, Gale credits Potter as the one who has made all the difference.
“He’s made everything more intense for us this year, including practice” Gale said. “The level of expectations has risen and he has really shown me what I need to do to improve from one day to the next.”
“I can’t imagine a better way to top off my collegiate career.”
