Paterson, a sophomore making her second trip to the national meet, and Peebles qualified for the tournament with strong performances during the NJCAA South District Meet on April 10-11 in Hanceville, Ala. Peebles finished tied for third place while Paterson tied for 11th.
“We’re really proud of them,” Buccaneers head coach David Johnson said. “To get to nationals as an individual is hard to do; you have to finish quite high in the district meet, so it’s quite an accomplishment.”
As Blinn’s lone representative in the 2022 national tournament, Paterson (of The Woodlands, Texas) finished the four-day competition with a 39th-place finish at the Mayfair Country Club in Sanford, Fla. She shot 49-over par, besting 53 other golfers to end her season. One year later, Paterson hopes to use the lessons learned from last season to her advantage.
“It’s a four-day tournament; it’s a lot of exertion and it’s tiring, and I wasn’t really prepared for that last year,” Paterson explained. “I’m trying to be more mentally and physically prepared for that this year.”
“It’s very competitive, especially at the individual level because those players are the best golfers on their team,” she said. “I played against some great players last year, but you just have to play your own game because you’re there as an individual, so it’s really you versus yourself on there.”
Having a teammate join her on the links will be another plus for Paterson, who has been sharing tidbits about her experiences from last season with Peebles.
“I’m really excited I get to bring someone with me, and Natalie can carry this experience on to next year when she’s a sophomore,” Paterson said. “I’m excited to see how she performs and how she’ll be able to carry it on into next year and share her story with the incoming freshmen.”
Paterson added that she hopes to finish in the top 10 of the field.
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman Natalie Peebles)
“I want to do my best to be up there with the best of the best,” she said.
Peebles (of Magnolia, Texas) said after qualifying for nationals, she wasted no time picking Paterson’s brain. Like Paterson, the first-year golfer is working to prepare herself mentally and physically for the challenge ahead.
“I’m just trying to get mentally ready and homed in, and I’m just trying to focus on my game and no one else’s,” Peebles stated. “I’m just going to try to take it day-by-day. It has been a long road to get here, so I’m just trying to take things step-by-step to get as well-prepared as I can. I’m nervous because this is the biggest stage in junior college golf, but once I get on that golf course it’s just me, and it’s just another day. I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can.”
Peebles hopes to join Paterson in the upper echelon of the final standings and believes a finish in the top 10-15 is attainable.
“At the end of the day, I just want to have fun because the memories are what will last forever,” Peebles said. “To be able to do this with Holly is an amazing thing, and I know we’re just ready to have fun and play some good golf.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 43 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
