RSU women’s golf adds four for 17-18 season
CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State women’s golf team announced the addition of four student-athletes for the 2017-18 season.
The class includes Jessica Green (Cape Town, South Africa), Veronica Grey (Spring, Texas), Alexandra Massie (Lubbock, Texas) and McKenzie Risenhoover (Verdigris, Oklahoma).
“I am excited to be adding Jess, Veronica, Alex and Kenzie to our roster,” RSU’s head women’s golf coach Whitney Hocutt said. “They will help continue to build our program, and I am also looking forward to seeing them compete alongside the returning four players.”
Green comes to College Hill all the way from Cape Town, South Africa playing for the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy. She was named the golfer of the year in 2014 and 2015. During 2017, Green took first for junior players and second overall at the Clovelly Club Championship, firing a final round of 79. She added a fourth place finish at the South African Amateur Match Play in 2017. Green shot a season-best round of 77 at the South African Women’s Masters. In 2016, Green finished in first at four provincial competitions and posted a score of 76 in the first round of the Boland Girls Junior Championships. Green attended Fish Hoek High School and received the High School Sports Jubilee Award for golf in 2015 and 2016.
“Jess is a great competitor and is a great addition,” Hocutt said. “She has competed in many events at her club back home, and she wants to continue that focus here at RSU.”
Grey joins the RSU women’s golf program from Spring, Texas and The Woodlands High School. During her prep career, Grey posted a scoring average of 78 for her rounds. She won and placed in the top 10 in many events in high school and on the Beltway Junior Golf Tour and the Texas Junior Golf Tour. As a junior, Grey placed fourth at the Gleannloch Pines Shootout with rounds of 77 and 75 for a score of 152 (+10) at Gleannloch Pines Golf Club. She added top 10 finishes at the Augusta Pines Major and the Golf Club of Houston Major Championship.
“Veronica has competed at a high level all throughout her high school career,” Hocutt said. “And she is going to be a great addition to our team.”
Massie comes to RSU after starting her collegiate career at West Texas A&M. In her two years at WT, Massie totaled three top 10 finishes. As a freshman, she posted a fifth place finish at the Rattlers Invitational with rounds of 74 and 79 for a score of 153. She shot back-to-back rounds of 75 at the Lone Star Conference Championship to place eighth with the total score of 150. During her sophomore campaign, Massie added one more top 10 finish, placing seventh at the Lady Buff Invitational with rounds of 76 and 78 for a score of 154. Massie prepped at Lubbock High School in Lubbock, Texas and led LHS to the school’s first-ever state appearance. Massie helped Lubbock to two district championships in 2014 and 2015. She tallied numerous individual wins in high school and on the NTPGA summer tour.
“Alex has played at this level before, including playing in some of the tournaments on our schedule this year,” Hocutt said. “She wants to continue to have success, and she is going to be a great player for us at RSU.”
Risenhoover makes the short trip from Verdigris High School to join the Hillcat program. Risenhoover led Verdigris to state three times during her high school campaign, including a seventh place finish at state in 2016. As an individual, Risenhoover finished 14th in the 2016 state championship. In the final two seasons of her prep career, she totaled nine top five finishes. Outside of golf, Risenhoover was the team captain for both basketball and volleyball. For the Verdigris basketball team, she earned all-conference and all-region honors.
“Kenzie has grown up playing our surrounding courses daily,” Hocutt said. “She is an athlete that played multiple sports in high school, and she wants to continue that competition at this level. She will be a great fit for our program.”
The Hillcats start the 2017-18 season on Sept. 11 at the 19th Annual NSU Women’s Classic at Cherokee Springs Golf Club in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
For more information on RSU golf, go to www.rsuhillcats.com.