MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho golf coach Lisa Johnson welcomes two players to the 2012-13 Vandal team with letters-of-intent from Kassidy Long-Goheen and Kristin Strankman.
"We couldn't be more excited about our two signees for 2012," Johnson said. "Kassidy and Kristin both have Northwest roots which makes Idaho a great fit.
"Both are excellent students with loads of junior golf tournament experience. They come from great families and will bring that sense of family to Idaho. Both have athletic backgrounds in individual and team sports. We look forward to them joining our tight-knit team and contributing to future successes."
Strankman is a multi-sport at Richland (Wash.) High School, where she will graduate in the spring of 2012. She already has had a stellar career with recognition on the Big Nine all-conference team as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She was the league's MVP as a junior and was a four-time choice by the Tri-City Herald as the Athlete of the Week.
She was the runner-up at the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Junior Girls Championship last summer and won the Banner Bank Tournament in 2011.
Strankman also played basketball and soccer and is a National Honor Society member as well as Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society. She helped build a house for Habitat for Humanity and is a March of Dimes' volunteer as well as a TOPS volunteer teaching soccer to developmentally disabled children.
"It's been fun to watch Kristin's scores improve dramatically throughout her high school career," said Johnson, who was introduced to golf by the same instructor, Chris Isaacson, who is Strankman's teaching pro. "She is a delightful person and always gives 100 percent.
"She is a consistent and steady golfer with a great on-course demeanor. She always finds a way to get the ball in the hole in big events as she is an excellent putter. Her experiences as a three-sport athlete and competitive nature will help her transition well into the college arena."
Long-Goheen will graduate this spring from Desert Vista High School at Phoenix, Ariz., where she has been a standout player for the Thunder throughout her career. With her senior season still to play, she already has been her team's MVP three times and was ninth at the 5A state tournament – one of the most competitive divisions in high school golf. She spends her summers in Washington and has competed in Washington Junior Golf Association events.
"Kassidy is a leader by example and a team player," Johnson said. "Her work ethic is second to none which has allowed her to shave several strokes off her scoring average in the past year. She has excellent fundamentals which will carry over into the college game well. She has a strong mental game that will only continue to improve in college."
© (University of Idaho Athletics)
