Women’s sports thrive in D-II

A season ago, the women’s teams were looking toward the future

By Lindsey Williams | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Photo by Katherine Huber

PHOTO CAPTION: Flagler Women’s soccer is one of several women’s teams that have improved this season against more competitive NCAA Division II opponents in the first season facing these more challenging programs.

The season started dismal for last year’s women’s basketball. With seven losses as the season opened, the 2007 record read 15-17. As the 2008 season kicked off to a new start, the team has won two of the last seven games. No losing streak here.

Players hope to continue court improvements as the season thickens. Winning two of the last three home-games, the Saints have proven to be stronger at home than on the road. Perhaps the missing ingredient: more home support.

This has been the case for most of Flagler’s women’s teams. Maybe the best example was volleyball, which finished the 2008 season strong with a 20-16 record. Guidance from Coach Taylor Mott and the on-court leadership from this year’s seniors played a vital role in finishing with a solid record. Closing the 2008 run with this amount of wins speaks to a strong future.

Flagler’s cross country women’s team showed strong improvement since last season. The team finished off the Stetson-Hatter Invitational in 12th place. This year, the team finished 8th in the event.

At University of Tampa’s Early Bird Classic they moved up to 7th place on the scoreboard as opposed to last year’s 8th position. Finishing the Disney Classic in 34th place in 2007, the women’s Cross Country team ran with a different tune as they finished 31st this season. Other accolades include the UCF Black and Gold Invitational, where the team finished 3rd overall.

Although the season has just begun, women’s golf has worked its way to improving their time on the green. With a ranking of 3rd at the first Saint Leo Fall Invitational, the players improved from last year’s 6th place ranking. The team finished 11th in the round of Flagler Slam as opposed to last year’s 15th.

In the women’s first full season in the NCAA, women’s soccer faced and defeated new opponents. With a 3-0 victory, the women’s team defeated Charleston, West Virginia. Thomas College from George lost to the Saints soccer skills, 2-0. Closing off the season with a win against a new opponent, King College, the Saints proved themselves as an NCAA member. Classic rivals, like Eckerd, fell at the might of women’s soccer later in the season.