Kansas Women’s Golf Inks New Recruiting Class
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas coach Erin O’Neil announced the addition of three new women’s golfers Friday as a part of the 2014 recruiting class.
Celia Mansour and Kallie Gonzales signed National Letters of Intent, while MacKenzie Sexe, a walk-on prospect, has been admitted to the University of Kansas.
Mansour, a native of Gueret, France, is the 287th ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and the 85th ranked European Amateur. She has enjoyed a stellar amateur career to this point, highlighted by earning medalist honors at the Grand Prix De Vichy Val d’Allier (70-69-69). She also produced strong finishes at the Biarritz Cup (68-77-69-72), the Grand Prix Des Landes (70-72-68-68) and a ninth-place finish in the German Girls Open (75-68-70).
“Celia brings a lot of competitive experience to the table for us and is one of the top players in France,” O’Neil said. “She plays on the French National team for her age and competes all over Europe. She has had some very good consistently low scores. She will be a good fit and addition to the team.”
Gonzales, a native of Montgomery, Texas, is the seventh-ranked player in Texas and the 62nd ranked player in the Class of 2014 Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings. She took home medalist honors at the Texas Junior Masters (75-70). Gonzales has also earned consecutive top-10 finishes at the Texas State Junior Championships. She took sixth place in 2012 (72-73-75) and fifth place in 2013 (76-70-77) at the Texas Juniors.
“Kallie brings a lot of tournament experience,” O’Neil said. “She’s competed in a lot of AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) tournaments and Texas is very competitive with its junior golf. She’s a great student and will come in well rounded.”
Sexe, a National Honor Society student from Prior Lake, Minn., will join the team as a walk-on. Sexe’s prep career at Prior Lake High School has included a 10th-place finish at the High School Class AAA Minnesota State Tournament and consecutive appearances on the High Class AAA All-Conference Team as a sophomore and junior. On the amateur circuit, Sexe has experienced success, including a fifth-place finish at the PGA Minnesota Players Tour. Sexe, who spent most of her life in Kansas, will bring a lot of potential to the Jayhawks.
“MacKenzie has a lot of potential to become a great player,” O’Neil said. “She works hard and the fundamentals are there. She spent most of her life in Kansas before moving to Minnesota the last few years. She wanted to get back to the area and loves KU.”
This is a pivotal recruiting class for the Jayhawks as they seek to fill the void left by departing 2014 seniors Thanuttra Boonraksasat and Meghan Potee.
“We’re very excited about this class,” O’Neil said. “They will come in and do a lot of things for us. They’ll fit right in with the dynamic we have on the team.”
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