The RoundHouse | 7/3/2019 12:13:00 PM

Where are they now:
 
Taryn Torgerson, women's golf (2014-18)
 
Taryn Torgerson's office is in Sacred Heart Hall on the campus of Newman University. Trophies and plaques fill the ledges and walls. Nearby is a putting green in what used to be the school's wrestling room.
 
The rest of Newman women's golf is practically a blank canvas for Torgerson. After a standout career at Wichita State and one year as a student assistant, Torgerson took over Newman's program on May 1.
 
She is busy.
 
Recruiting. Scheduling tournaments. Ordering golf bags and apparel. Making hotel reservations. Booking rental cars. All those tasks fall on her at the NCAA Division II school
 
"Even if I did it at Wichita State, it's different here," she said. "I'm learning the Newman system and how they work things. I've been trying to recruit for next year, because I was short on players when I got hired. Then I'm working ahead on recruits for 2020 and 2021. It's not supposed to easy."
 
Coaching life – Torgerson is following the lead of two influential coaches – Brennan Torgerson (her father) and Tom McCurdy (Wichita State's coach). Her father coaches boys and girls golf at Buhler High and provided her the first role model.
 
"That sparked me into wanting to be a coach - being out on the golf course with (my father) and his players all the time growing up," she said. "Just to give back and give other people an opportunity to have a great college golf experience like I did. I want to impact others, just like my dad and Coach McCurdy impacted me."
 
This is different – Taryn Torgerson started to adjust to the coaching life as a student assistant for the Shockers. She observed the routines of McCurdy and assistant coach Alejandra Arellano.
 
"As a player, you show up and play and that's about all there is to," she said. "As a student assistant, you get to see the behind-the-scenes of budget, how much time goes into recruiting and researching players to try to find the ones you want. How much time goes into planning visits and communicating. I've already had a few phone calls with recruits. I'm glad I had that year to see those things."
 
Torgerson talks with McCurdy regularly.
 
"He's been really helpful and definitely has made this easier for me," she said. "I've called him numerous time – 'Hey, how do you talk to this type of recruit, how do you do this?'"
 
Big move for the Jets – Newman officially joined the MIAA in May. The switch from the Texas-based Heartland Conference to the 14-school MIAA is a boost for Newman.
 
The Jets now share a conference with Kansas schools Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Washburn and Emporia State. That association will help with travel, name recognition and attendance at home events. The MIAA also has schools in Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma. 
 
All of Newman's fall golf tournaments are hosted by MIAA schools. 
 
"The travel is going to be a lot better," Torgerson said. "People say it's the best conference in Division II, so that's something to hang your hat and something you can hang your hat on and something I'm definitely excited about and can use as a recruiting tool."
 
Torgerson also talks up Newman's enrollment of around 3,000 students and the opportunity to make an impression.
 
"You can really leave a legacy and make an impact here," she said. "Class sizes will be smaller, so there is a lot of one-on-one time with instructors and I think there's a lot of perks to that."
 
Off the links – Torgerson doesn't make much time for her golf game during this part of her life. She will play in the Jet Open, Newman's fund-raising tournament, helped at The Wichita Open and instructs at The First Tee youth organization.
 
"I like to help other people get better and give lessons," she said. "I'm getting my golf fix in many different capacities."
 
Her big moment – Torgerson capped her career as a Shocker by winning American Athletic Conference medalist honors in a playoff in 2018. She shot a course-record 8-under-par 64 on the final round at Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast Florida.
 
"I couldn't have written a story-book ending any better than that," she said. "I wanted to get the best I could out of my four years. I think I got every bit of it."
 
Torgerson also won the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference individual title. She earned All-MVC honors twice, in addition to All-AAC honors in 2018.
 
"I was under-recruited, and really not recruited at all," she said. "Coach McCurdy took a chance on me and believed in me. I put in the work. He helped me get to that point."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.