Goodwin, Smith sign with Oklahoma Christian
TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 20, 2014) – Kate Goodwin, a multiple tournament winner at the state junior level and one of the top small-school golfers in Oklahoma, has signed a letter of intent to play collegiately at Oklahoma Christian, OC women’s coach Greg Lynn said Thursday.
Goodwin, who attends Riverfield Country Day School in Tulsa, won a regional qualifier, then finished third in the Class 2A state tournament as a junior this past spring (shooting rounds of 73 and 76 at Trosper Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City) and was named to the Tulsa World’s All-Metro third-team honor list.
She was seventh in 2A tournament as a sophomore in 2013 and 11th as a freshman.
This past summer, she won four events on the South Central Junior PGA Tour and was second in another tour event, posting a stellar stroke average of 75.5 in the process. She was a member of the winning Southern States Junior Cup team from Oklahoma and also played on the state’s winning squad in the Red River Team Challenge. In addition, she played in the inaugural South Central PGA Oakley Cup event.
"Kate Goodwin is a very strong player," Lynn said. "She hits the ball a long way. I think that she has tremendous potential."
She’s one of two players who have signed with OC during the November signing period, joining Elizabeth Freeman of Edmond, who attends Casady School.
They will join a program that has enjoyed tremendous success since beginning competition during the 2011-12 academic year. OC was sixth in the NAIA in 2012 and has finished second, third and third nationally in the National Christian College Athletic Association in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.
OC is in the final year of the NCAA Division II membership process and hopes to become a full NCAA member with the 2015-16 academic year.
For the men’s team, Ethan Smith, a key member of successful teams at Oklahoma Christian School the past two seasons, has signed a letter of intent.
Smith finished in the top 10 individually in the Class 3A tournament as a sophomore in 2013, helping OCS to a runner-up team finish. He also won a regular-season tournament and received honorable mention on The Oklahoman’s All-City list.
As a junior, he and current OC golfer Zac Schaeffer led the Saints to a third-place showing in 2014. He also has enjoyed considerable success on the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour.
Smith will be the third player from Edmond on the OC roster, joining Schaeffer and Ty Tamura.
"Ethan is an outstanding student-athlete who will be a great fit here at Oklahoma Christian," Lynn said. "Ethan is extremely talented and has had some excellent finishes in high school tournaments as well as played very solid on the Oklahoma and Texas Junior Golf Tours. I am thrilled Ethan has decided to call OC home."
He will join a program that routinely produces All-America-caliber players and has recorded a top-four national finish in either the NAIA or National Christian College Athletic Association for 16 straight academic years.