University of Minnesota Athletics
Ciskowski Places Second in Amateur Championship
8/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
By Rachel Timmerman, Athletics Communications student intern
Heather Ciskowski is spending her summer proving she is a top competitor.
At the end of July, the sophomore golfer competed in the Minnesota Women's State Amateur Championship - tying for second her first time in the tournament.
After a rough first day of play, the Illinois native had to battle through strong winds on the second day of the tournament.
"I was really impressed because the conditions were very, very difficult that [second] day on a really difficult golf course," head coach Michele Redman said.
Ciskowski was happy with her second place score, but is still striving for that first place finish.
"I was happy with it, especially given the conditions and the greens were tough, but every time I go to a tournament I want to win," Ciskowski said.
Heading into this summer's tournaments, Ciskowski received a boost of confidence from her coach.
"I came back [in spring] and the first thing that my coach told me was that I was a different player," Ciskowski said. "Not necessarily that I was hitting the ball further or putting better, but I just looked and encompassed a different golfer."
But last year as a freshman, Ciskowski wasn't a major scoring contributor, and played in only five of ten tournaments.
"I didn't play as well as I would have liked to during season because when you're a freshman, you're kind of thrown into it," Ciskowski said. "It can be a little overwhelming at times with school and golf. I really had to learn throughout the year how to manage it all."
Now, with a year and a successful summer under her belt, Ciskowski is ready for the upcoming season in a month.
"I played really well throughout the summer and that's definitely going to give me an extra boost of confidence going into the season," Ciskowski said.
Redman agrees, and said she has seen Ciskowski grow a lot over the past year.
"I was encouraged with the results that I've seen from Heather this summer," Redman said. "She's working on all the right stuff. For Heather, it's just been a matter of everything coming together at the right time. I think she'll continue to grow and that's exciting as a coach to see."
With her growth and performances over the summer, Ciskowski's second season could prove to be the start of her success with the Gophers.
"The one thing I really love about Heather is she's a competitor," Redman said. "She never gives up and that's gonna be a really good thing for her in the next three years here at Minnesota."
Players Mentioned
