In addition to its competitive mean’s golf team, Averett is entering its first season of women’s golf. This adds to the diverse sports offerings at Averett.

“It shows how much Dr. Franks and Meg Stevens care about growing women’s sports in Division III athletics,” Averett Men’s and Women’s Golf Head Coach Benjamin Potter said. 

With COVID-19 still lingering around, it has been tough times for universities as some sports programs were forced to shut down. In the midst of these times, Averett took the bold step of adding a sport.

“It was the right time for Women’s Golf to be added,” Potter said.  “It is something that had been in the conversation for a while, and we are glad it is finally here. Golf has been a major part of the University for many years, and being able to add women’s golf only grows the tradition. We are very blessed to be at a University that is continuing to grow even in these trying times,”  

The team also has a new assistant coach, Brooke Wetzel. Wetzel agrees that this is a great move by the university.

“The addition of a women’s golf team shows how well Averett’s athletic department is doing. While most teams are forced to cut their golf programs Averett is adding one. This speaks volumes about how Averett is handling COVID and it also shows diversity to bring in another woman’s sport,” Wetzel said. 

The women’s golf team currently only has two players on the roster, but the team is hoping build on this foundation.

“They show great potential for our inaugural season and both Coach Ben and I are excited to see how they do,” Wetzel said.

The members of the women’s team seem just as excited as the coaches about being a part of this historic season. 

“It feels great being a part of the new women’s golf team. It’s really exciting to be able to start up the team with the coaches,” freshman women’s golfer Caroline Tamburstuen said. “I have been looking forward to college golf for a long time, and now I am finally here. It’s just a bonus being able to be a part of the team start up.”

The goals for the women’s team will be different from the goals of the men’s team because the men’s team is more established. However, there are still big expectations set for the women’s golf team.

“The goals for our first season are very simple, we are looking for our girls to place in the top 10 as individuals and to get as much experience out of this year as possible,” Wetzel said.

The Averett Men’s Golf Team had a great season last year and plans on carrying that momentum into this upcoming season. The team learned a lot about themselves and plans on using those key takeaways to improve this season.

“Last year showed us we have the firepower to compete with the top teams in the country. It was a good confidence boost and wake up call for our younger guys,” Coach Potter said. “It showed us as a program where we are at, and what we need to work on for this upcoming season.”

With the addition of Women’s Golf, Averett University now has 24 different sports teams. Averett University also now joins the 26 other colleges in Virginia that have women’s golf teams.