Jenna Gutzwiller

By Shawna Carpentier
UW-RF Sports Information

Falcon Jenna Gutzwiller, a junior on the UW-River Falls golf team says, "golf is a sport that anyone can play at any age."

But it is people of a certain age who Gutzwiller hopes to inspire some day.

Studying elementary education, Gutzwiller's plan is to do just what her second grade teacher, Mrs. Shelly, did for her. It was up until second grade that Gutzwiller hated school, but Mrs. Shelly provided her with another perspective on school and ever since then she has been inspired to learn and desires to help other children develop into good students.

Gutzwiller's outgoing, positive attitude is what she will take into the classroom and she believes that it is her education that will prepare her for a role as a teacher.

Visiting schools throughout Minnesota, Gutzwiller helps struggling students. Putting in a minimum of 40 hours a semester, she fulfills her responsibilities as a Northwest Suburban Educators of Tomorrow Scholarship recipient. She says, "[I have benefited] by interacting with different cultures and different schools."

Seeking to help children benefit, Gutzwiller takes school seriously. "The things I learn in school is what I am going to take out into the world."

Golf may be second on her agenda, but Gutzwiller enjoys the game of golf as she learns not to take the game too seriously. She did not start out golfing competitively and it was not until her neighbor introduced her to the game when she was in sixth grade that she became interested in the sport.  

While attending Elk River High School, Gutzwiller helped her team to the state tournament in her junior and senior years. She was voted Most Improved her senior year.  

With no intention of playing college golf, Gutzwiller was approached by former Falcon Coach, Jeff Berkhof, who asked Gutzwiller to join the team. It did not take much for her to decide that golf would be something that she could do and she figured that golf would keep her busy and that she could meet people.

Gutzwiller enjoys the team and individual components of golf and along with first-year Falcon Coach Reid Perry, hopes that the program will continue to "grow" and "develop" in the future.

With a team of six members, the Falcons are "short staffed," according to Gutzwiller. Besides promotion of the golf team around campus and in the community, she wants people to recognize that golf is a "fun sport" that anyone can succeed at if they "come ready to learn."

Perry believes that Gutzwiller has the potential to be, "one of the better players in the conference." He says, "if [Gutzwiller] stays focused and makes some changes in her swing," she could accomplish just that, and for Gutzwiller this could mean breaking her all-time best score of 81.

The WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll requires that students carry a minimum GPA of 3.0 while participating in a sport. Gutzwiller has done well balancing her role as a student-athlete and has earned a spot on the WIAC Honor Roll. Perry says that his golfers "are students first and athletes second."

According to Gutzwiller, the team brings their homework and their lap tops on the road and makes the time to do their homework in the hotel. With no hesitation Gutzwiller says, "I [would] choose missing a tournament," when it comes to the responsibility of being a good student or participating in a golf tournament.

Beyond her success in the classroom, she says most people would be surprised to know is, "that I still get nervous at every tee." However, teammate and friend Katie Kantrud is who she relays on to get her through the stress of a match. Because Gutzwiller is the most experienced on the team her coach looks to her to lead the team and to set a good example.

Gutzwiller looks for the Falcons to "get better every tournament." Perry looks to develop a "highly competitive team" and advises this is possible through smart training.

Perry's previous research in biomechanical kinematics change in golf swings is knowledge he is sharing with Gutzwiller and the rest of the team. Perry hopes that this, and his work towards a Ph.D. in the motor learning of golf, will eventually make the Falcons a strong team.

The sacrifices and dedication it will take to improve the RF program is something Gutzwiller is well aware of. She believes that being patient is also a key factor in the success of a competitive golfer.

When Gutzwiller is not golfing or busy with school, she enjoys watching professional golfer Adam Scott and loves when her parents, Ray and Sue, younger brother Bryan (a freshman at RF), and her friends come to watch her play.

Playing poker, writing, and relaxing are a few of Gutzwiller's hobbies. She sees herself living in a small town teaching, playing golf with friends and family, and maybe even going back to school to pursue a master's degree in special education in the future.