Olds High School graduate Nicole Schultz finished her first season with the Medicine Hat College women's golf team last week; a year where she helped the team win ACAC (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference) gold and qualify for the CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association) championship.
This year's national championship was held in Prince Edward Island and Schultz's Rattlers finished fifth.
Coach Trevor Moore said Schultz has had a great year. He explains that teams rank members in the order that they play and that she slotted into the third spot.
"I would say she's probably the best third-ranked player in the conference. As a rookie, that really stands solid for her," he said.
"Most teams have a solid No. 1 player. Some teams have a solid one and two. But rarely do teams have a solid one, two and three and Nicole filled in that spot wonderfully."
Schultz is studying nursing. Moore said her maturity, athleticism (she was also a basketball player and pole vaulter at OHS) and willingness to receive instruction makes her likely to be a staple of the team in years to come.
He also said she's got her priorities straight with school and sports.
"(She) communicates very well about needing to miss practice on a certain day because assignments are piling up and those types of things," he said.
Medicine Hat College visited Olds in September for the ACAC regional tournament. Seeing the local course, Moore believed it was a good place for Schultz to grow up playing the game.
"We played up there in that south regional event early in the season and at that point in time, that was her first college event," Moore said. "I think it was just a great way for her to start her college career, having the friendly confines of home to really settle in and be comfortable."
"Most teams have a solid No. 1 player. Some teams have a solid one and two. But rarely do teams have a solid one, two and three and Nicole filled in that spot wonderfully." TREVOR MOORE, Medicine Hat College golf coach
