With one meet as a college athlete under her belt, freshman Kristina Nhim is already off to a good start.
She began her first weekend traveling with the team to Michigan State for the Mary Fossum Invitational, where the Irish took first place. Nhim took 19th place in the tournament, already proving her abilities to hang with the competition.
"It definitely was more intense, and the quality of teams is so much higher. People are or become much better players in college, so you definitely have to step up your game if you want to compete and win," Nhim said.
For Nhim, golf began as a simple way to pass the time. At the age of 10, her parents wanted her to find a hobby to get out of the house, so she started playing. It stuck with her ever since.
Named All-County first-team member in 2008 at Cypress High School in California, Nhim stood out as a leader. The decision to play the sport she grew to love in college was never a hesitation.
"I started playing tournaments when I was 11, and I really liked competition so I knew I wanted to play in college," she said.
The place to play was never a question either. While she spoke with coaches from UC Davis, Vanderbilt and Georgetown, she never considered any of them a serious alternative.
"I love how strong both athletics and the academics are here, and our program is awesome," Nhim said. "The coaching staff and the women's team are so supportive and great about everything, so it really wasn't hard to decide to come here."
Nhim is entering the world of college athletics with a few concise goals.
"I want our team to make it to NCAA finals all four years, to be an All-American, and to meet lots of people," she said.
At this rate, she seems to be aiming at a very attainable level for both herself and her teammates.
