Optimism is high as the ISU golf teams prepare to start the fall season. Despite finishes in the lower half of the Big 12 for both the men and women last spring, the Cyclones believe they have what it takes to compete in the conference this season and are eager to prove it.

“We have a lot of talent that’s returning,” said men’s coach Jay Horton. “Competition has been great, and from top to bottom, everyone can really push each other. I’m looking forward to good things.”

The men, who kick off the season Sept. 9 at Colorado Springs, Colo., finished last at the Big 12 Championship last spring. They return some key players, most notably juniors Chris Baker and Joe Cermak.

“Chris has always been a very solid player,” Horton said of Baker, who led the team with a 74.68-stroke average last season. “I expect him to keep maintaining and step up and be one of the leaders. When he played well [last year], he always challenged for the lead.”

Cermak also had a standout season as a sophomore. He was the first golfer in ISU history to record three sub-70 rounds in a row. Cermak also recorded four top-10 finishes that season.

“Joe has had as good a summer as anyone as far as talent and playing consistent,” Horton said.

Cermak also qualified for the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship this summer, which is one of the biggest events for amateur golfers. He missed the cut by only one stroke on Aug. 22.

Even with these talents returning, Horton said the team could have a different look this season. There are four freshmen and one junior-college transfer on the roster.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of different people in the lineup,” Horton said. “The one newcomer that really stands out to me is Cedric Bertin, my junior-college transfer from France. He comes in as a junior, so he already has some experience. He knows how to play and is a dedicated worker.”

A native of Bruz, France, Bertin played the past two seasons at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. He has won three tournaments in his career, including the Kirkwood Invitational and Central College Invitational last year.

Horton also expects the freshmen to compete for playing time.

“All summer long, any time they’ve been integrated against the other guys on the team, they’ve shown that they can step up and beat them at any point and time,” Horton said. “They don’t have the experience that some of the other guys have from playing, but they have the drive and the hunger.”

On the flip side, the Cyclone women are a more experienced team. They are returning four of their five starters from a team that took eighth at the Big 12 Championship last spring.

One of the most notable is senior Christi Athas who, like her male counterpart, qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship this past summer.

“That shows how much time and effort she’s put in and what a real talent she is,” said women’s coach Christie Martens said. “She’s played great for us and I think she’s going to have a great senior season.”

The Cyclone women, who start their season Sept. 10 at Madison, Wisc., have a few newcomers as well. Martens also said that a number of her existing players have shown improvement over the summer.

“We added two new freshmen and one redshirt freshman back into the mix, so I think we’re going to be strong,” Martens said. “Our players actually improved a lot over the summer. Karly Pinder had an awesome summer. She finished third in the Canadian Amateur. We’re pretty excited to get started on our fall season, that’s for sure.”

With four starters returning, the big question is who will fill the fifth spot. That question doesn’t have an answer just yet.

“We don’t really know who No. 5 will be,” Martens said. “We have a freshman from Rock Island, Ill. and a freshman from Bangkok, Thailand who both have great resumes.”

Those freshmen are Ana North and Pennapa Pulsawath, respectively. Regardless of who the fifth starter is, Martens feels comfortable with the team as a whole.

“We have a tough fall schedule,” she said. “Playing against the teams we’re playing against, I feel really confident having people with so much experience in the lineup.”

Despite the differences, the men’s and women’s team have one thing in common: They’re both extremely excited to start competing.

“I’m just anxious to get out there,” Horton said. “I think the whole team has had a sense of excitement the whole year. As much as we’ve been kind of knocked down the last two years, they’re really hungry to go out and show everyone what we can do. I think we’ve got a lineup this year that can compete with anybody.”

Martens has the same feelings about her squad.

“I expect some great things out of them,” she said. “I think we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12.”

Men’s Roster:

Name Class Hometown

>> Tyler Swanson senior Clinton

>> Curtis Foster senior Independence

>> Rodney Hamblin senior St. Paul, Minn.

>> Chris Baker junior Brownstown, Ind.

>> Johnny Larson junior Springfield, Minn.

>> Joe Cermak junior Chicago

>> Patrick Hall junior Owatonna, Minn.

>> Cedric Bertin junior Bruz, France

>> Eric Lindquist freshman Sioux Falls, S.D.

>> Ross Menke freshman Sioux Falls, S.D.

>> Adam Seitz freshman Bettendorf

>> Cameron White freshman Plymouth, Minn.

Women’s Roster:

Name Class Hometown

>> Christi Athas senior Eldora

>> Kendra Hanson junior Forest City

>> Karly Pinder junior Exeter, Ontario

>> Jessica Shin junior Mankato, Minn.

>> Sabrina Danielson soph. Pleasant Hill

>> Ana North freshman Rock Island, Ill.

>> Pennapa Pulsawath freshman Bangkok, Thailand