Marisa Miko

Women's Golf

Cardinal Close-Up: Marisa Miko

Marisa Miko
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Jeremy Rushing, Student Sports Information Assistant)

Oct. 3, 2011 -  Staying out of the rough is one thing Marisa Miko has no problem with.  The North Central College junior women's golfer has placed in the top 10 in four events this fall, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Augustana College Lady Viking Fall Classic on Sept. 8.  Marisa has been shooting consistently solid rounds this season, turning in season-low scores of 77 on two occasions and sharing the team lead in stroke average (82.8). 

As the fall season winds down, Marisa looks to turn things up a notch and accomplish her goals of making it back to the NCAA Division III National Championships.  The music education major looks to continue hearing the sweet sound of success during the rest of her junior season.

Get to Know Marisa Miko
Q: How long have you been playing golf?
A: This is going on my tenth year now.

Q: Who is your favorite professional golfer?
A: I am a big fan of Rory McIlroy.

Q: What is your best round of golf ever and when was it?
A: My best round of golf was a 74 back in high school in a summer tournament.

Q: What do you like most about golf?
A: I like the composure that you have through the sport and just what it takes to play it, being patient.  And just the different characteristics you build throughout the game and through your life and the lifelong lessons you learn.

Q: What is the best advice you have received in regards to golf?
A: Just how to play the game smart and just the mental aspects of things.  I've had a lot of golf lessons in my life but I think the most valuable for me have been the mental side with strategy and things like that.

Q: Did you ever participate in any other sports outside of golf?
A: I have, a lot actually (laughs). In junior high I did basketball, track, and cheerleading.  In high school I did one year of track.  I've played tennis too.

Q: What is one talent you have that nobody really knows about?
A: People do know this but not everybody.  I have what's called perfect pitch, which means without any outside source you can hear a note and know what it is.

Q: Is there anyone else in your family that is a really good golfer?
A: My dad and two brothers play golf. One brother, Brett, played here at North Central. 

Q: Where is your favorite course to play on?
A: Good question (laughs), I really like Springbrook Golf Course a lot, that's out in the area.  It has a little bit of everything with a country club feel and a public feel.  I do like Cress Creek Country Club a lot too.

Q: What is your pre-round ritual?
A: Just a warm up, I like to putt first and do some short game then go to the range.  I just talk myself through what I want to do today and what my goals are and then I go back and putt some more and I'm ready to go.

Q: What was it like to represent North Central at the Division III NCAA Championships last season?
A: That was really cool.  It was a great experience and we were all really excited to go.  I was overjoyed, we might not have done what we wanted to do there, but, our goal was to get there and that was a really great accomplishment.

Q: What is the best thing about playing for your coach, Tye Thompson?
A: His attitude really reflects off of everybody and his way of coaching.  He's a really great guy and really nice, he can be stern at some points but he's a really laid back and cool about things.

Q: How did it feel to earn all-CCIW honors last season?
A: That was a really cool honor.  I know going from freshman year to sophomore year, they were very different years for me. Freshman year I learned a lot about what it takes to be at the level you want to be at.  Last year I really came through on the last day to get where I was.

Q: What is the team environment like?
A: Starting out with the new girls this year, it was really great chemistry and a really good blend of different personalities.  We all got along really well.  As far as golf, we are all in a different point in our game and in our lives as well.  I think that has a good impact and we can all learn from each other.  Whether you're in the first or the last spot on the team, we all learn from each other.

Q: What has been your favorite class so far at North Central?
A: I'm a music education major so I like all the music classes.  I like music theory a lot.  The rehearsals I'm in are also really fun.

Q: Not many athletes are music education majors.  To you, what is the best thing about music education?
A: The things it teaches you about composure.  The things you can grab from music and what you can grab from education.  In a sense, it's a double major because you are working with both departments, they are completely different.  There's a lot of nice high up people that really can give you good advice on what to do.  Just pulling those two together.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: My plan is to become a music teacher in a school, I'm not sure what grade yet.  I'm also really into performing and composing. 

Q: Who are your role models?
A: I would say my parents.  They've taught me a lot in my life and I've really grown from what they've taught me with golf and everything.  I really look up to them.

Q: What are some of your goals as you head into the latter part of the season?
A: My goals are really just to stay consistent, get the back end of my scores down, and play smart.  That's really been my focus.  I've had all the golf lessons I can have up to this point, I can't do much more.  But, all I can really do is really focus and stay concentrated.
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