Published: July 21, 2008 11:41 pm            

College scene: Former Lady Hornet ready for a fresh start

Marquart transferring from Nicholls State to finish golf career at Centenary

For many folks, a change of scenery can do a lot of good. Former Huntsville standout Jessica Marquart hopes that will be the case in regard to her golf game when she transfers to Centenary from Nicholls State this fall.

“My two years at Nicholls didn’t really go too well,” Marquart said recently. “I didn’t play as well as I would have liked. Hopefully, it will give me a fresh start.”

This past year, Marquart began to have trouble with her swing. While she struggled most of the year, it became evident that there was a problem when she came back to Huntsville for the Sam Houston State Spring Classic at Raven Nest Golf Club in March. Marquart finished in 56th place with a two-day total of 175.

“It was very frustrating for me especially because I had a pretty good swing in high school. It kind of got away from me,” Marquart said. “It’s one thing to play poorly on a course you’re unfamiliar with, but it’s certainly another to play like that on your home course.

“I had lost my confidence. Ninety percent of golf is mental to begin with. When you lose your confidence, you’re not going to play up to your potential. It’s that simple.”

But with a little help from her older brother Jon, who played soccer for Centenary, Marquart is getting a chance to have a fresh start in Shreveport, La.

“He really helped me out a lot,” Marquart said. “He worked in the pro shop at the same golf course that Centenary uses. Jon talked to the coaches for me and it kind of went from there. I also know many of the girls on the golf team there, so that helps things along a bit.”

But a change of scenery wasn’t the only reason Marquart decided to transfer.

“Going to Centenary also offers me a better opportunity after school,” Marquart said. “The coach, Mary Lynn Stuart, played at Texas when she went to college. After she graduated, she played on a lot of mini-tours and that’s something I hope to do. Hopefully, I can play my final two years here and then go out and play mini-tours.”

With her impending move to Centenary, Marquart has had time to go out and just play without any worries this summer.

“This summer, I got the opportunity to just relax and play for fun,” Marquart said. “I was always worried about my bad swings. One of the things I learned is that you can’t really think about all the bad things that can go wrong. You just have to relax.

“I’ve taken a few weeks now to really focus on my game and I’m playing a lot better now.

Marquart leaves for Centenary at the end of August with classes starting on Aug. 25.

“I’m real excited,” Marquart said. “This is going to be a real good opportunity for me, and I’m playing good golf. The courses are good up there, and I’m just really looking forward to my new experiences.”

It won’t be long before Marquart gets right back into playing against her former conference opponents. In the fall, Centenary will compete in the McNeese State Invitational at Koasati Pines.

        

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