UCLA Sports Info
Gina Umeck has been one of the women’s
golf team’s strongest competitors this year, finishing in the
top 10 in four of her last five competitions.
By Michelle Coppolella
Daily Bruin Reporter
[email protected]
If asked to describe what kind of goals one had for the golf
season, responses could vary from “finishing strong” to
“all-around improvement.” However, when one elicits
that her goals are “intangible,” the title of
“student-athlete” takes on an entirely different
meaning.
Sophomore Gina Umeck of the UCLA women’s golf team not
only revolutionizes the title of “student-athlete” with
her golf mentality, but she’s also broken through with
stellar performances during the most crucial part of the season,
with four top-10 finishes in her last five appearances.
“She’s playing much better this year, with the
biggest improvement in her putting,” head coach Carrie Leary
said. “She’s been shooting a lot lower numbers, and
she’s been having under- or even-par rounds this year, so her
play has been a lot more solid.”
Considering that Umeck received honorable mention in the Pac-10
conference last year, it’s commendable that not only her
actual golf play improved, but the mental aspect to her game has
also reached a higher level. Shyly conceding that she’s been
known for having a fiery temper, Umeck feels a calmer attitude has
enhanced her golf game.
“I’ve learned to contain my temper a lot
better,” Umeck said. “I’ve learned to channel
that energy away from ridiculous outbursts and to my game. Patience
has played a major role in my development.”
Umeck’s development has also played a major role in the
success of the team, as her eighth-place finish at the NCAA West
Regionals last week at Stanford led UCLA to a tie for first
place.
“Her teammates have a lot of faith in her, and
she’ll fight for every single shot,” Leary said.
“She has a lot of “˜stick’ to her game, and that
infuses her teammates with confidence.”
Umeck feels that both she and the team have a lot more depth
this year when compared to last year.
“Last year there was more separation in the actual years
between players,” she said. “This year we’re more
uniform, so it doesn’t seem as fractioned, and we’re
all on the same level in many respects.”
Umeck also feels that this year’s team is much stronger
than last year’s team because of its strong finishes at the
end of the season, where she feels the team’s performance is
especially crucial.
“Last year we really didn’t define ourselves as one
of the great teams competing,” she said. “But this year
we knew we had potential and we knew we could get to the NCAA
Finals. Our first-place finish at Regionals was an affirmation that
we can really do this, and we just need to feed off of each
other’s confidence.”
Not only has Umeck exerted confidence on the golf course, but
her confidence in the classroom has led her to be
UCLABruins.com’s Student-Athlete of the Week, with
“student-athlete” which takes on a different meaning
when applied to Umeck’s outlook on golf and life.
“I know that if I take care of business, I can’t
control anything else,” she said. “I really believe
that, and that gives me enough confidence in my golf game and in
school.”