TACOMA, Wash. - Throughout the rest of the semester, GoLutes.com will profile the Pacific Lutheran University senior student-athletes involved in spring sports that had their seasons cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's installment features PLU women's golf student-athlete Sami Briney.

After four years of dedication to PLU athletics, Sami Briney reflected on how her experience on the women's golf team will impact her life after graduation.
 
Briney's favorite memory was from this season's PLU Invite. With a team win and clean sweep of the awards, it was a great way to start her senior season.
 

Hometown: Clarkston, Wash.

College Stats: Best Round: 74 Career Average: 85.7 Top 10 Finishes: 10

Many memories stem from time spent on and off the course with her teammates and coaches, and Briney is grateful for those relationships she has developed over the years.
 
"My teammates and coaches have become people that I know I will be in contact with long after PLU," Briney said.
 
On the golf course, Briney was one of the best. She competed in 30 events during her collegiate career, finishing amongst the top ten 30 percent of the time while togging top five finishes on seven occasions. That includes winning the Puget Sound Invitational by four strokes in the fall of 2018 and finishing runner-up at the PLU Invite this past fall. Her excellence on the links and in the classroom, earned her Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar honors at the conclusion of the 2019 season.

"Sami has been a constant contributor to the women's golf team since she arrived four years ago," said Head Coach Sara Griffin. "She inspires her teammates to improve each year and helped her team finish third at the NWC Fall Classic, our highest finish at a conference event!"
 
Briney believes athletics has prepared her to be an effective and disciplined team member, and taught her how to manage her time. Balancing a sport and academics is a challenge, but Briney was successful in both golf and building her career.
 
Along with her involvement in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Briney was a member and the treasurer of Beta Alpha Psi, the business accounting club at PLU. 
 
"Sami is a great student-athlete that balances academics and athletics beautifully. She managed to work in the athletic department as well as be a SAAC rep. She has been a WGCA All-American Scholar for having a GPA above 3.5 and never missed a competitive event in her career. She did this all while having an internship after her junior year that led to a full-time job offer this fall."
 
Briney will be graduating with a degree in Business with a concentration in accounting, and has already accepted a position working for Weyerhauser in their accounting department.
 
"She will be greatly missed and has motivated the team to carry on where we left off. Thank you, Sami, for helping the team improve each year and for motivating your teammates to believe in themselves."