April 25, 2024 • 8 mins
The Xavier Women's Golf Team has won its fifth consecutive Big East championship and will be off to Vegas to play in an NCAA Regional starting on May 6th.
Head Coach Brenna Jenco joined us on ESPN1530.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Follow on Twitter: @MoEgger
Email: mo@espn1530.com
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Head Coach Brenna Jenco joined us on ESPN1530.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Follow on Twitter: @MoEgger
Email: mo@espn1530.com
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
For Brianna Jenko to join us.She is the golf coach women's golf coach
at Xavier University. The Musketeers areheaded to a fifth consecutive NCAA tournament.
They're going to play in the NCUBALas Vegas Regional on May sixth through eighth
at Spanish Trail Country Club in LasVegas. This the NCAA tournament field set
(00:21):
just a short while ago earlier today, after the Musketeers earned an automatic bid
for the Big East by winning theconference championship for a fifth consecutive year.
That ties Notre Dame for the mostchampionships in Big East history. The head
coach of the Xavier women's golf programis Brianna Jenko and kind enough to join
(00:42):
us on what I'm sure has beena very busy day. You've built a
dynasty at Xavier. It's great tohave you. Congratulations, coach. How
are you. I'm good, Thanksfor having me. I appreciate you joining
us. So you find out todaywhere you go by the way, there's
a lot of folks who like takegolf trips to go to Vegas. You're
combining two things I love, sothis sounds awesome. What's what's a day
(01:03):
like today light where you find outwhere you're going to go? Oh,
my girls are right with you.They're very excited as well. It's been
a little while because we just gotback on Monday night and I, you
know, finish a season and goingto keep it going here. So I
got two little ones, so it'sbeen a little crazy trying to be home
(01:26):
with them, get them off toour selection and show party, and then
get them home now. So butit was a lot of fun. We
do a little watch party at schooland have some of the department come and
see where we're going, and thegirls were excited to see that we're heading
out to Vegas next week. Yeah, no, it's it's pretty cool.
So a fifth consecutive Biggies championship.Every championship is unique and different. What
(01:51):
has made this year's championship unique anddifferent? Well, I think you know,
Georgetown had a great year this year, so it was a tight rate
all weekend to come home with thechampionship. And you know, we've had
solid play throughout our lineup this year, so going into it a little bit
(02:15):
with the unknown of not knowing whowas going to step up for you,
but hoping somebody would do that foryou, and obviously, Emma Welch wills
him away with that victory fourth individually, which really propelled us to a team
victory. So let's talk about EmmaWelch, who is from Minnesota. She
wins the tournament. This was herfirst collegiate tournament title and only her second
(02:38):
ever top ten, So she's obviouslya terrific golfer. But what was it
about this weekend that allowed her totake her play to another level? Yeah,
she's been working Forards this all season. I really feel like she had
an awesome summer up in Minnesota lastsummer and that really helped her get her
confidence back, started to strike theball a lot better, and she's always
(03:00):
been one of the top putters inour program. So when she combined her
putting with some good ball striking,she's really had a good season for us.
And she couldn't she hadn't quite puttogether a full tournament to really get
a top finish, and this weekendshe was able to do that, and
(03:21):
obviously she showed just how deep shecan take it around and then to be
able to do it through three daysand come home with a victory was really
exciting to see and I'm sure isonly going to continue to further pump up
that confidence that she's been gaining allseason. Can you explain how the NCAA
Golf tournament works. Yes, Sowe're unique in that we have a regional
(03:45):
shave. So they just did theselection show. We have six sites and
we've got seventy two teams at thosesix sites along with individuals, and everybody
will compete at the regional level,and then the top five teams along with
the top individual outside of those teams, will advance to the NCUBLEA Championship.
(04:08):
And then when you get to THEBAChampionship, everybody competes for four days in
stroke play and they crown an individualchampion out of those four days, and
then the top eight teams will goon to mass play and they'll play mass
play until they're down to the NCAAchampion. Brianna Jenko is with us,
(04:32):
the head coach of the Xavier women'sgolf program, May sixth through eighth,
competing in the NCAA Regionals in LasVegas that just announced about two and a
half hours ago. You have builta dynasty five straight Biggiest championships kind of
walk me through this process. Youtook this job, you were only two
years out of school, So howdid you go from being close to the
(04:56):
same age as the players that you'recoaching to building such a a terrific program
in in the Big East. Imean, I've had a ton of hope
from my dad who's now my volunteerassistant, my previous coach, Tom Elfers,
who just retired from the program beforeI took over. You know,
(05:16):
him and his wife wanted to travelmore and so that was kind of the
reason he stepped aside. But hecan Gret Christopher. I think before he
hired me that he would help meout, and he's certainly done a ton
for me. But I also hadthe two years at Akron too and learning
under Jenny Keying up there and learneda ton while I was up there,
and was bursting at the scenes toto put some things into play and see
(05:42):
how they would work out. AndI'm a very data driven person, so
I loved having stats and being ableto take those stats and build practices around
them. And I think a bigpart of our overall program is just the
team dynamic and the cold sure andWe're really focused on building individuals as students,
(06:05):
golfers and people, and I thinkwhen we stay very focused on that
process, the winning just kind ofcomes along with it. And then we've
obviously had great players that have boughtinto that mindset and then passed those values
down to the younger players. Sonow we're talking about it being able to
span some generations, and I reallythink, you know, our former players
(06:27):
who bought in and saw the processpay off for them, have really helped
pave the way for these future championships. How often does like a goofball like
me who wants to be good atgolf ask you for a lesson, even
if it's like something impromptu when theyfirst meet you. I get thrown out
there every now and then. Andwhen I first started, I was doing
(06:48):
a little bit of them on theside. But now that I've got a
family of my own, I've I'vekind of stepped away from doing that and
just focusing on the kids in ourprogram. But yeah, I hear that
quite of it. Or I'll alsohear somebody's top score, how they had
a hole in one and they haveonly played five times. So those are
some of the big you know,oh you golf. Here's what I can
(07:09):
tell you about golf. Yeah,I bet you. That's I bet you
that's a blast. But by theway, like a golf trip to Vegas.
If you mean, do you needanybody to work the bag for any
of your players? I could dothat. Unfortunately I don't caddies, but
you're welcome to come out as afan and come out here it done.
We'd love that. I did youdrive the van around Vegas and load the
(07:31):
bags in the van? I coulddo that. There you go, and
then you can go take your moneyto the casino and then come pick us
up. That sounds actually sounds prettygood. I might work on that.
Congratulations on a fifth consecutive Big EastChampionship. We'll be watching in Vegas starting
on the sixth, and you've builta terrific program. I know today is
(07:53):
busy. You have a lot goingon, so I do appreciate you carving
out some time. Coach, Thanksso much, Thanks for having me.
It's fun. You got it.Brianna Jenko is the head coach of the
Xavier women's golf program. Five consecutiveBig East Championships and they'll play in the
Las Vegas regional, Like, thereare folks who pay lots of money and
(08:13):
pay lots of money to like shiptheir clubs out to Vegas. And they're
in Vegas and they play three roundsand you have to like mortgage your house.
Xavier's women's golf team is gonna dothat and they don't have to pay
for it. That's pretty damn cool.
For Brianna Jenko to join us.She is the golf coach women's golf coach
at Xavier University. The Musketeers areheaded to a fifth consecutive NCAA tournament.
They're going to play in the NCUBALas Vegas Regional on May sixth through eighth
at Spanish Trail Country Club in LasVegas. This the NCAA tournament field set
(00:21):
just a short while ago earlier today, after the Musketeers earned an automatic bid
for the Big East by winning theconference championship for a fifth consecutive year.
That ties Notre Dame for the mostchampionships in Big East history. The head
coach of the Xavier women's golf programis Brianna Jenko and kind enough to join
(00:42):
us on what I'm sure has beena very busy day. You've built a
dynasty at Xavier. It's great tohave you. Congratulations, coach. How
are you. I'm good, Thanksfor having me. I appreciate you joining
us. So you find out todaywhere you go by the way, there's
a lot of folks who like takegolf trips to go to Vegas. You're
combining two things I love, sothis sounds awesome. What's what's a day
(01:03):
like today light where you find outwhere you're going to go? Oh,
my girls are right with you.They're very excited as well. It's been
a little while because we just gotback on Monday night and I, you
know, finish a season and goingto keep it going here. So I
got two little ones, so it'sbeen a little crazy trying to be home
(01:26):
with them, get them off toour selection and show party, and then
get them home now. So butit was a lot of fun. We
do a little watch party at schooland have some of the department come and
see where we're going, and thegirls were excited to see that we're heading
out to Vegas next week. Yeah, no, it's it's pretty cool.
So a fifth consecutive Biggies championship.Every championship is unique and different. What
(01:51):
has made this year's championship unique anddifferent? Well, I think you know,
Georgetown had a great year this year, so it was a tight rate
all weekend to come home with thechampionship. And you know, we've had
solid play throughout our lineup this year, so going into it a little bit
(02:15):
with the unknown of not knowing whowas going to step up for you,
but hoping somebody would do that foryou, and obviously, Emma Welch wills
him away with that victory fourth individually, which really propelled us to a team
victory. So let's talk about EmmaWelch, who is from Minnesota. She
wins the tournament. This was herfirst collegiate tournament title and only her second
(02:38):
ever top ten, So she's obviouslya terrific golfer. But what was it
about this weekend that allowed her totake her play to another level? Yeah,
she's been working Forards this all season. I really feel like she had
an awesome summer up in Minnesota lastsummer and that really helped her get her
confidence back, started to strike theball a lot better, and she's always
(03:00):
been one of the top putters inour program. So when she combined her
putting with some good ball striking,she's really had a good season for us.
And she couldn't she hadn't quite puttogether a full tournament to really get
a top finish, and this weekendshe was able to do that, and
(03:21):
obviously she showed just how deep shecan take it around and then to be
able to do it through three daysand come home with a victory was really
exciting to see and I'm sure isonly going to continue to further pump up
that confidence that she's been gaining allseason. Can you explain how the NCAA
Golf tournament works. Yes, Sowe're unique in that we have a regional
(03:45):
shave. So they just did theselection show. We have six sites and
we've got seventy two teams at thosesix sites along with individuals, and everybody
will compete at the regional level,and then the top five teams along with
the top individual outside of those teams, will advance to the NCUBLEA Championship.
(04:08):
And then when you get to THEBAChampionship, everybody competes for four days in
stroke play and they crown an individualchampion out of those four days, and
then the top eight teams will goon to mass play and they'll play mass
play until they're down to the NCAAchampion. Brianna Jenko is with us,
(04:32):
the head coach of the Xavier women'sgolf program, May sixth through eighth,
competing in the NCAA Regionals in LasVegas that just announced about two and a
half hours ago. You have builta dynasty five straight Biggiest championships kind of
walk me through this process. Youtook this job, you were only two
years out of school, So howdid you go from being close to the
(04:56):
same age as the players that you'recoaching to building such a a terrific program
in in the Big East. Imean, I've had a ton of hope
from my dad who's now my volunteerassistant, my previous coach, Tom Elfers,
who just retired from the program beforeI took over. You know,
(05:16):
him and his wife wanted to travelmore and so that was kind of the
reason he stepped aside. But hecan Gret Christopher. I think before he
hired me that he would help meout, and he's certainly done a ton
for me. But I also hadthe two years at Akron too and learning
under Jenny Keying up there and learneda ton while I was up there,
and was bursting at the scenes toto put some things into play and see
(05:42):
how they would work out. AndI'm a very data driven person, so
I loved having stats and being ableto take those stats and build practices around
them. And I think a bigpart of our overall program is just the
team dynamic and the cold sure andWe're really focused on building individuals as students,
(06:05):
golfers and people, and I thinkwhen we stay very focused on that
process, the winning just kind ofcomes along with it. And then we've
obviously had great players that have boughtinto that mindset and then passed those values
down to the younger players. Sonow we're talking about it being able to
span some generations, and I reallythink, you know, our former players
(06:27):
who bought in and saw the processpay off for them, have really helped
pave the way for these future championships. How often does like a goofball like
me who wants to be good atgolf ask you for a lesson, even
if it's like something impromptu when theyfirst meet you. I get thrown out
there every now and then. Andwhen I first started, I was doing
(06:48):
a little bit of them on theside. But now that I've got a
family of my own, I've I'vekind of stepped away from doing that and
just focusing on the kids in ourprogram. But yeah, I hear that
quite of it. Or I'll alsohear somebody's top score, how they had
a hole in one and they haveonly played five times. So those are
some of the big you know,oh you golf. Here's what I can
(07:09):
tell you about golf. Yeah,I bet you. That's I bet you
that's a blast. But by theway, like a golf trip to Vegas.
If you mean, do you needanybody to work the bag for any
of your players? I could dothat. Unfortunately I don't caddies, but
you're welcome to come out as afan and come out here it done.
We'd love that. I did youdrive the van around Vegas and load the
(07:31):
bags in the van? I coulddo that. There you go, and
then you can go take your moneyto the casino and then come pick us
up. That sounds actually sounds prettygood. I might work on that.
Congratulations on a fifth consecutive Big EastChampionship. We'll be watching in Vegas starting
on the sixth, and you've builta terrific program. I know today is
(07:53):
busy. You have a lot goingon, so I do appreciate you carving
out some time. Coach, Thanksso much, Thanks for having me.
It's fun. You got it.Brianna Jenko is the head coach of the
Xavier women's golf program. Five consecutiveBig East Championships and they'll play in the
Las Vegas regional, Like, thereare folks who pay lots of money and
(08:13):
pay lots of money to like shiptheir clubs out to Vegas. And they're
in Vegas and they play three roundsand you have to like mortgage your house.
Xavier's women's golf team is gonna dothat and they don't have to pay
for it. That's pretty damn cool.
Mo Egger News
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.