Athlete of the Week: Hannah Buck

| Senior Sports Editor
Hannah Buck (Chris Mitchell | WUSTL Sports Information)

Hannah Buck (Chris Mitchell | WUSTL Sports Information)

In just a few weeks, freshman Hannah Buck has made a strong impression in the varsity women’s golf program. On Sept. 5, Buck shot a school record of 74 at the Illinois College Lady Blues Invite, tying for first. Buck followed up by leading the squad to its first major tournament victory at the 2009 Wartburg Fall Invitational on Sept. 13. Buck tied for third, firing a 79 in the first day before shooting a 75 for a total score of 154. Her stellar performance has earned her Student Life’s Female Athlete of the Week.

Student Life: What’s different between high school and college?

Hannah Buck: It’s been a pretty easy transition. The biggest difference is because in high school there’s such a wide range of skill levels; it’s very much an individual sport. Whereas here you’re working as a team a lot more, which makes it more fun.

SL: Talk about breaking the school record.

HB: I wasn’t even thinking about it. I didn’t even know what the record was. I was pretty surprised. What was funny about it was I wasn’t even playing that well at the beginning, but my last three holes went really well.

SL: How did the team feel about winning the program’s first major tournament?

HB: It was really exciting. I think all of us were surprised, and I think we surprised a lot of other teams. I don’t think it was expected at all. It definitely increased our expectations for the rest of the season.

SL: Can you describe any cool shots you’ve had this season?

HB: On my 17th hole when I got a 74…I put it in from a hundred yards out on a par 5 for an eagle.

SL: Have you done that before?

HB: I’ve probably done that two other times, but I’ve been playing golf since I was 10. It’s very rare.

SL: What’s your typical week like?

HB: I practice Tuesday through Thursday. I’m there about an hour and a half to two hours a day. I normally spend 30 minutes hitting, 30 chipping and 30 putting. Then we leave Friday morning for a tournament. We practice on Friday, then play Saturday, Sunday, and we get back Sunday night. Monday’s my day off.

SL: How does it feel to be part of a team without much history?

HB: It’s cool, though, because you get to be a part of it from the beginning.

SL: What are your thoughts on the rest of the season?

HB: I don’t think other teams expected much of us up until this year, when we started playing well. I think we’re really just trying to improve our reputation as a team.

The Bears compete at the Illinois Wesleyan University Fall Classic on Sept. 19-20.

Sign up for the email edition

Stay up to date with everything happening at Washington University and beyond.

Subscribe