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

Oct. 9, 2012 - Whether it's her golf score or her GPA, Mary Kate Rohn knows how to keep a solid average.  Off the course, Mary Kate has been an Academic All-CCIW and NGCA All-American Scholar Team Selection in each of her first two years on the North Central College women's golf team.  On the course, she knows how to keep her scores low and, more importantly, keep her cool playing a sport that can be frustrating at times.
               
In her first season as a Cardinal, the sport management major averaged just over 87 strokes per 18 holes in 14 events.  She posted three top-10 finishes, including her season-best third-place finish at the Cardinal Classic.  She capped on an impressive freshman campaign by representing North Central at the NCAA Division III National Championships, where she placed 79^th in the country.
               
The Elmhurst native lowered her already impressive scores even further in her sophomore season.  Mary Kate dropped her average over three strokes to an even 84 per 18 holes.  Her season best score of 77 came on two different occasions, one at the Illinois Wesleyan Fall Classic, and the other at the Washington University Spring invitational.  She finished the season with five top 10 finishes and wrapped up her second season with a 14^th place finish at the CCIW Championships.

This past weekend, Mary Kate earned All-CCIW honors for the first time in her collegiate career, placing fifth at the CCIW Championships. She led the Cardinals with a stroke average of 82.2 during the recently-completed fall season.


Q: How long have you been playing golf?
A: I started playing the summer before I entered 8^th grade so about seven years now

Q: What is your favorite thing about golf?
A: How competitive it is and how you have to control your emotions and stay composed.

Q: To you, what is the most difficult thing about golf?
A: It's a very individual sport along with being a team sport.  You're out there by yourself for 18 holes then you come back into a team atmosphere.  That balance is probably the most difficult thing to me.

Q: Who is your favorite pro golfer?
A: Rory McIlroy because he's so young yet one of the most composed players on the tour.  He also gives the best interviews, in my opinion.

Q: How do you keep your composure whenever you're struggling on the course?
A: I think it's just important to take a deep breath out there and having a short memory whenever you have a bad shot and taking things one shot at a time.  Knowing you have 18 holes is also a big thing too.
 
Q: What is the best advice you have ever received in regards to golf?
A: Playing one shot at a time, because in golf it's easy to get distracted and lose focus. 

Q: Your freshman year, you competed at the NCAA Division III National Championships. What was that experience like for you?
A: That was one of the best golf experiences I've had.  Just being there and being able to represent my school at the national tournament was amazing. 

Q: If you get the chance to go again, what will you do differently than you did the first time?
A: I'll do some more training in the heat and more cardio.  That was one of the hilliest courses I've ever played on, so more training and playing multiple days in a row.

Q: What is your favorite class you have taken so far at North Central?
A: I've really loved all the Spanish classes I've taken.  It's something completely different from my major.  I also think I'm going to like the coaching classes I'm in too.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I want to go the PGA Teaching route.  I'd have to pass a playing test first, then different teaching levels, including seminars.