The women’s team was used to warm weather, but now they must deal with the adversity.

Sophomore Carrie Riordan said now that the weather is getting cold, it’s time to start layering clothes.

Riordan said there are two practices this week because of the cold weather. She knows that winning the conference tournament won’t be a walk in the park.

“We just got wind from someone that Murray State said Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky and Murray State are going to be the top teams at conference,” Riordan said.

Senior Ty Comerford said that this weather will definitely affect their playing.

“(The weather) plays a factor because we are the northern-most school in the OVC,” Comerford said, which means the other conference teams get to start in January.

Sophomore Katie Imburgia said the weather makes things a little harder because “it confuses you to know which club to use.”

A unique sense of family closeness

Imagine having four siblings on the golf team.

Matthew, Michael, Anthony and Katie Imburgia from Effingham have all brought a sense of family to the team.

Bach, who got a chance to meet them all at Illinois State, said having the Imburgias playing golf together is their father’s dream.

“It is very neat to see four siblings playing on the same team together,” Bach said.

Riordan said the Imburgias are a big family that is really close. Helping each other as well as being caring is what they do, Riordan said.

The Imburgias themselves had a lot of fun together in the past and practically lived at the Effingham Golf Course.

“Playing with (her brothers) is amazing because they know me so well,” Katie said.

Katie described Anthony as the calm, level-headed one. Michael is the outgoing, lovable one and Matthew is the left-handed, passionate one.

The brothers won the IHSA Class A team state championship in 2002.

Gearing up for Conference tournament

The regular season finales for the men’s and women’s teams will give the Panthers the opportunity to lower their scores, Anthony said.

The team is going to maintain the same approach it has all season heading into the OVC tournament because the course in Paducah, Ky., will be tough.

“You can lose a lot of balls out there,” Anthony said. “The greens are extremely fast.”

Bach said she believes the tough field of teams playing in the Illini Invitational will help tremendously.

“If we play well there, there’s no reason we can’t play well at conference,” Bach said.

Katie has felt the pressure of the OVC tournament that is looming.

“Nerves are definitely creeping up, we can win conference,” Katie said. “It will take a group effort. We want to backup Chelsea her senior year.”

The men’s team will play in the Tennessee State Invitational before heading to Paducah, Ky., for the OVC tournament.

The women’s team will close out the regular season on April 5 at the Illini Invitational at Stone Creek Golf Course.

Sophomore golfer Carrie Riordan. (Submitted photo from Chelsea Bach)

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