STATESBORO – The Georgia Southern women’s golf team is coming off one of the best seasons in program history, securing its highest ranking to date at No. 52 while also taking second place at the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Mimi Burke wants to lead the Eagles through one of the toughest schedules in the country and to a deep postseason run in the 2024–25 season.

“Last season at the Sun Belt Championship, we had the expectation of coming out of stroke play as the number one seed, but making it to the finals was a great accomplishment in itself,” said Coach Burke. “We don’t take making it to the finals lightly. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite hold our own there and couldn’t finish. But that’s something that makes us hungry for the Sun Belt Championship this year.”

Georgia Southern returns last season’s Sun Belt Golfer and Freshman of the Year. Louise Reauwho, following her own postseason success, had one of the best freshman campaigns in program history.

The Béziers, France native received at-large entry to the Bermuda Run NCAA Regional, a first in program history. Reau led the Eagles in scoring average (71.88), rounds of par or better, rounds played and birdies. She captured two tournament titles at The Southern and Edisto Island Invitational and added another top-five and three more top-10 finishes to her resume.

“It was a huge honor for Louise to receive at-large admission to Regionals – the first time in the program’s history. It’s a huge accomplishment any way you look at it. It was incredible to get there and play the way she did. She played great golf and was just two spots away from qualifying for Nationals. She’s doing everything right and we have the right schedule to get our players where they need to be. I’m happy for her to start the year off of such a strong run at Regionals while also qualifying for the French National Team.”

In addition, four Eagles student-athletes return to the All-Sun Belt second team Regina PlascenciaSecond year student Avery RobinsonRedshirt Senior Schimpf Monasteryand Seniors Karlee Vardas. The squad was also strengthened in the offseason by the transfer of UGA Lora-Lie Cowart and freshman duo Kelsey Chen And Mary Miller.

“Everyone has a great energy together,” Burke said. “That’s how we recruit. We want to recruit guys that we want to be around and that fit in with Mia (Kness) and I. That’s great to see because you see how everyone fits together in their own way, even if they’re from a different country. In the recruiting process, we focus on finding great players first, but also the relationship part. We try to make sure we create like-minded people and that we can be a unit. This team is fun, loving and hardworking.”

Outside of the season, the Eagles continued to work hard during the summer and participated in several tournaments to improve their game individually.

“All of our girls really love golf,” said Coach Burke. “They had three to six tournaments coming up in the summer and they worked hard all summer. They stayed focused and worked hard and that will definitely help us this year.”

This season, Burke has put together a strong competition schedule for the Eagles for the 2024-25 season, spanning both the fall and spring, which includes trips to a major tournament at Yeamans Hall and several match play events in the spring.

“I would say our schedule is one of the best in the country.” Coach Burke said, “We’re up against some really strong fields this season. It’s the first year with the .500 rule, our first event isn’t as strong, but it will be nice to start the year with a good lead and then go into these stronger tournaments.”

With the introduction of match play into the 2024 Sun Belt Championships, Coach Burke has created additional match play opportunities for the team to gain experience in preparation for the postseason.

“We’re going to focus a little bit more on the game, whether it’s through practice in the fall and the spring, but also these two games,” coach Burke said. “Just making sure that when the last Sun Belt game comes around, we’re hopefully ready.”

With the 2024-25 season quickly approaching, the Eagles have their eyes set on a postseason run and are ready to compete in one of the toughest schedules in the country. The team will begin its season on Monday, August 26, at the 2024 Tiger Classic in Clemson, South Carolina.

“We have a special opportunity this year,” said coach Burke. “We’re excited to pull it off and also build on the culture we’ve built over the last few years. The girls are really fun together and it’s a great team.”