Kelli Andersen '17 Recruiting Profile

I first became interested in golf at the age of six. Inspired by my older brother, I joined the local golf club. This club provided me with instruction, introduction into competitive play, and education in the rules and etiquette of the game. The older I became, the more I realized how much I enjoy this sport and how much I wanted to compete on the high school and collegiate level.

I have been playing as the number two for St. Joseph by the Sea High School during my freshman and sophomore years. I gained the title of co-captain for my junior year. I have seen my game progress during this time and am proud to say that I was undefeated during this past regular season. Combining my golf skills with that of the number one on my team, we managed to place first in the local high school all star tournament during these three years. Our local newspaper has referred to us as the "dynamic duo." In addition, I was honored by this paper with the title of Advance All Star for girls golf for the 2015 and 2016 high school seasons.

While locally I may be considered one of the top female junior golfers, I know that I am up against some fierce competition in the larger arena. For the last three years I have increased my tournament play and continue to see positive results. As far as my skills are concerned, driving and putting are my strong points. More often than not I tend to outdrive all my competitors. With the extra time that I have put into my short game, I am also very confident when it comes to being on the green. 

Being a student athlete requires not only athletic ability, it also requires academic ability as well. Growing up, I have always strived to be the best student I could possibly be. For me it paid off when I was awarded a full academic scholarship to a private high school. As a scholar, I am enrolled in all honors classes. I find it somewhat challenging but I am fully committed to my studies and have maintained a cumulative GPA just under 93/100. I am looking forward to my senior years in high school where I will be taking several AP and college level courses. I plan to work hard and am confident I will keep my grades in good standing. 

Being a student athlete will also require team sportsmanship and time management skills. I acquired these skills during my eight years as a competitive cheerleader. Ten months out of the year, three to five days a week, three hours a day, I practiced for competitions. I learned how to keep physically fit and mentally prepared. Spending so much time with my teammates, I gained many good friends. While it is only now being recognized as a sport, cheerleading has helped to make me a strong competitive player.

One of the things I learned at a young age was that there is also a need to give back to one's community. For me it began with a local golf tournament, the Catholic Youth Organization Golf Tournament, where I competed during grade school and returned during high school to volunteer to marshal young players. Also, in the summer of 2014, I volunteered to help teach a special needs child learn the game of golf. What a great feeling to see the excitement on his face when he hit the ball! Unfortunately my tournament schedule prevented me from continuing this, but I plan to resume my volunteering in the near future. 

As I continue my senior year, I plan to work on improving my game. I am excited to be thriving ahead to college and the prospect of playing golf on a collegiate level.