Christi Athas is one of the reasons why the ISU women’s golf team enjoyed a winning fall season, but the sophomore from Eldora has toiled in the shadows of the team’s senior stars.

“She has been a big part of our success so far this year,” said interim head coach Fiona Watson. “But when you aren’t winning individual titles like Louise [Kenney] and Lisa [Meshke], you don’t always get the recognition you deserve.”

The Cyclones won two of five fall tournaments, with Kenney winning medalist honors at the Notre Dame Invitational, and Meshke taking the individual title at the Lady Razorback Invitational.

She set a school record for a 54-hole score (215).

Watson said she thinks Athas will help Iowa State achieve its team goal — an NCAA Central Regional bid — which would be the school’s first since 1996, when the Cyclones competed in the Big Eight.

“Her score is always going to be the deciding factor in a tournament, because you know the other two are going to be solid,” Watson said. “I’m not sure she necessarily believes she is a factor, but there is probably a little self-imposed pressure on her.”

Athas won the Big Three Invitational against Iowa and Northern Iowa a year ago in her collegiate debut, her only tournament victory to date. She has three top-10 finishes this year, as many as Kenney.

Athas said she feels she is the underdog and finds it hard to always play in the shadows of the senior co-captains.

“After our first tournament, I shot a 70 in the second round and everybody was surprised,” she said. “People don’t expect that out of me — they do out of Louise and Lisa.”

Athas came to the ISU golf program as one of the most prolific golfers in Iowa high school history. She won three state golf titles at Eldora-New Providence High School, breaking all the school’s women’s golf records. But after the fall season a year ago at Iowa State, she said she began to struggle on the golf course and in the classroom. She failed to finish in the top 20 in any of her last six tournaments and had trouble keeping up in her classes.

“I struggled a lot with school, keeping up with my homework while traveling,” Athas said. “The biggest adjustment was living on my own, having to do everything for myself.”

She said she attributes her letdowns to “little things,” such as mental mistakes and handling free time.

“This year I am better with time management and everything,” Athas said. “I’m not so stressed. When you’re stressed, you really can’t play golf.”

Watson said Athas is still learning, and has potential to be better than the two seniors.

She has more top-10 finishes than both Kenney and Meshke did as freshmen and owns the fifth-best career stroke average in school history (79.2). Her score of 70 at the Notre Dame tournament tied her for second-best on Iowa State’s career 18-hole scoring list.

“As she gets more experienced, she will have to lead this team,” Watson said.