Athlete Spotlight
September 12, 2013
What happens when the sport of golf is in your blood?
You get Jennifer Gaffney, the senior from Waukee, who has been swinging a golf club since she was five.
“My dad taught me how to play, so ever since I was little, he would just take me out to the course and teach me how to play,” she said. “It’s been fun.”
That’s not all. Her aunt, Lori Gaffney is a professional golf player. She teaches at Longview Golf Center in Grimes, Iowa. It’s not a surprise where Gaffney gets her talents.
Gaffney played golf throughout high school and won tournaments such as State Co-ed.
As a transfer to Simpson College, Gaffney has already made her mark within Simpson athletics. She originally went to Iowa State for her first two years and didn’t play golf.
“I was in marching band,” she said. “I missed playing golf, so that’s part of why I transferred (to Simpson College).”
She won conference and had a strong finish to her first season at Simpson. For her last year here, she’s still keeping her eye on the prize.
“I think that a good goal for us would be to win conference this year,” she said. “If you win conference for golf, you get to go to nationals. I would like to win conference again.”
Not only is she a strong athlete, but also a strong student. She majors in forensic science and like many Simpson students, she’s dedicated to service. Gaffney is part of the Wesley Service Scholars program, putting in 80 hours of community service. But a packed schedule doesn’t stress out the golf star.
“It just takes a lot of planning,” she said. “You can’t really procrastinate.”
At the Mount Mercy Fall Invitational, Gaffney placed 11thand Simpson came in 5th overall. At the Central Fall Invitational, Gaffney came in third and Simpson placed first.
Gaffney has also brought the love of golf to the rest of her family.
“My grandpa plays too,” she said. “Basically my whole family does now.”
The Simpson College women’s golf team plays at the Simpson Invitational on Sept. 16.
