Marshall University Athletics
Finishing Herd Golf Career, Thompson Rewarded
4/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 20, 2014
By CHRIS DICKERSON
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Don't remind senior golfer Rachel Thompson that this week's Conference USA Tournament would be her last as a college athlete.
"Going into the conference tournament, it's going to mean the most to my heart," said Thompson, who hails from Mansfield, Ohio. "But I know that when people build things up, when things mean more, it can get in the way. So I'm trying not to think of it that way.
"And, of course, I won't be the only senior wanting to go out on top either."
Thompson joined the Thundering Herd program in 2010 after a successful high school at Ashland (Ohio) High School, following her cousin Molly Ginger, who was a senior during Thompson's freshman year.
Thompson said the most beneficial things she has learned during her collegiate athletics career are the life lessons she'll use the rest of her life.
"I've learned a lot about time management, doing interviews ââ'¬Â¦ just being productive in general," she said. "I see so many people who spend a lot of time studying, but they seem like they get nothing else out of the college experience. I don't feel like I get much out of my day if I've not been busy, whether it is school work or golf.
"The last four years here have been busy and rewarding, and I've been tired a lot. But I wouldn't have it any other way because I'm doing something with my life. To be able to graduate with a degree in forensic chemistry and have played four years of golf, I got a lot out of my college experience."
The Herd women will finish their 2013-14 season - and Thompson will be closing her college career - this Monday through Wednesday in the 11-team Conference USA Tournament at Gulf Shores, Ala.
Thompson won her first collegiate tournament in October at the Dayton Fall Invitational. She credits that victory and her solid showing during her entire Marshall career, to Coach Meredith Knight Rowsey and second-year assistant coach Matt Zedrick.
"I've seen a lot change since I've been here. I have learned a lot about both the physical and mental sides of the game from my coaches," Thompson said. "With Meredith, she's concerned you're getting the most out of your round. She helps you stay positive mentally.
"With Matt, it's all about mental toughness. He leads us in our workouts and conditioning. He's a big part of why we don't complain about weather because of our mental toughness."
Speaking of Knight Rowsey, don't talk to her about Thompson's collegiate career ending either.
"Rachel truly is an all-around outstanding person," she said. "She is any coach's dream. What she has meant to this program, I'm not sure it can be matched. She's taken what I look for in players to another level.
"Honestly, I can't say enough about Rachel. It's difficult to put into words what she has meant to the program, and what she has meant to me. Words wouldn't do it justice."
Knight Rowsey admits she couldn't have imagined the impact Thompson would have when the Ohioan arrived on campus.
"Toward the end of her freshman year, we saw that she has that intrinsic motivation you look for in any player for any sport," she said. "It drives her to be better.
"For example, a lot of times a senior in her position would be worried about school and getting on with her post-athletic life. Rachel does that, but she balances it all well. She's been in contention to win two out of our four events this semester. And I expect her to be right there again at the conference tournament."
Knight Rowsey pointed to a tournament earlier this month at Eastern Kentucky. Thompson was leading the individual standings after the first day of the rain-shortened event. But bad putting on the final day kept her from winning.
Instead of being down about the final troubles, Knight Rowsey said Thompson focused on fixing the mistakes.
"She knew she blew it," Knight Rowsey said. "For some reason, the putts weren't falling. She reflects on what happened, identifies what went wrong and has been working on it.
"That's what gives me such confidence about her going into the conference tournament. She works hard, she goes out and corrects the mistakes. She didn't dwell on it or get down on herself. She gets after it.
"She's not looking to just finish, be done and graduate. She wants to win. She wants the team to do well. She's one of those who grasp the team concept, which can be hard in golf sometimes. But she cares about the success of the team, and she cares about the program."
Thompson said she doesn't know exactly what her future holds.
In the immediate future, she still has to take two more classes after this semester to finish her degree. But neither of those classes are offered again until the spring, so she said she plans to stick around campus, pick up a third minor and help with the golf team.
"I still plan on playing in some amateur tournaments," she said. "I haven't ruled out playing golf later. I don't know exactly what I'll end up doing."
Thompson does know she'll miss being part of the team.
"You're around your teammates all of the time," she said. "They become family. You have people you go through classes together, but it's nothing like being on a team."
That's just one part of Marshall she has enjoyed.
"I kind of followed Molly here in a way, but I liked what I saw with the program," Thompson said. "I think it was more the fact that the program was building. It hadn't been too long since the program had restarted. You could see improvement happening.
"I probably could've gone to a bigger school and played, but I don't know how much I would have played. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be part of something that also would benefit me.
"I just knew Marshall was where I wanted be."
And she said she fell in love with Huntington and the campus immediately.
"It's definitely different than home," she said, referring to her hometown, midway between Columbus and Cleveland along I-71. "I never knew the southern accents started here. I thought it was in Mississippi and way down there. But they were here, and so many of them!
"And I like that I'm fairly close to home, but still far away. Plus, the campus is just awesome. I have heard horror stories from others back home about their college experience, but I haven't had that here."
Knight Rowsey said she feels good about Thompson and the rest of the team as it enters the C-USA Tournament at Peninsula Golf Club in Alabama.
"We've had some good team rounds this semester," the Herd coach said. "We haven't quite put them together in a tournament, but I feel it's really close."
Chris Dickerson writes for the Herd Insider, where this story also appears in this week's edition.
Players Mentioned
