Take a swing at it

Record breaking leader sets standard for JMU women’s golf

By MADI ALLEY The Breeze

Looking to rewrite the women’s golf program’s narrative at JMU, head coach Tommy Baker was eager to find talent needed to do so.

It was on the second hole of watching Amelia Williams, a then-junior in high school, that he knew.

“Yep, that’s the one,” Baker told his assistant.

From etching her name into the JMU women’s golf record books to becoming a dynamic leader on the team, now-junior Williams has wasted no time making a name for herself in the purple and gold.

In her debut season, Williams racked up a series of accolades. She broke the JMU single-round record at the River Landing Classic and again three weeks later at the ECU Easter Invitational, set the program record for single-season scoring of 74.33 and earned First Team All-CAA.

“We knew pretty early she was gonna play a lot her freshman year,” Baker said. “She stepped in and played a lot right away and she’s continued to be in the lineup week in and week out.

Williams continued building off of her strong start and, in her sophomore year, made a statement at the River Landing Classic last March. Williams shot 72-69-70 to win by two shots with the third-lowest 54hole score in JMU history, while the Dukes won the tournament by just one stroke.

“What made it even more special,” Williams said, “was it was a team win as well.”

Baker said the greatest story of it all is,

Former JMU men’s basketball coach Lou Campanelli dies at 84

after she finished on the 18th hole, he walked over to give her a hug and said, “Congratulations, champ.” Williams was convinced she didn’t win. She had no idea where she stood. Williams was just out there “whacking the golf ball,” Baker said.

“I think that’s what makes her special,” Baker said. “She’s just so in her element. She’s not worried about all the frills and all the other details. She’s just worried about getting the ball in the hole. And, you know, that says a lot for her mindset when she’s out there playing.”

While the scorecards and record books show Williams’ expertise on the green, Williams’ character set her apart in a mentally demanding sport, Baker said.

“Amelia is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to what role she fills,” Baker said. “She always has a smile on her face. She’s lighthearted, she’s borderline silly and goofy at times.”

Redshirt senior Kate Owens, who Williams said she aspires to lead like when she becomes a senior, echoed Baker.

“It’s funny, because she’s like that, but she’s also so effortlessly good at what she does,” Owens said. “I think sometimes you forget, like, how serious and how competitive she is and how incredible she is at her sport. It’s rare to see somebody that can be both of those things at once.”

The rare talent, as Owens calls Williams, came to JMU via the Sunshine State. Williams chose JMU for a multitude of reasons: The Florida native’s parents both hail from Virginia, and the “360 view of the mountains” around the Shenandoah Valley sold Williams on the campus, she said.

But the deciding factor in her choice came after her official visit. Williams got paired with now-senior Ana Tsiros on her visit, who Williams called “so welcoming and supportive.” Williams has returned the favor in recent recruiting visits — when she’s tried to pull golfers to JMU now as an older player — making Kahoots for the recruits to get to know their potential teammates.

JMU finished out the fall 2022 season with a tie for second place at the Charlotte Invitational in October. Williams tied for fourth and shot 78-74-71. The Dukes are looking ahead to pick up where they left off and start even stronger in the spring with a tournament win.

“This past fall we struggled getting off to slow starts, and we’re hoping this is something we can build on,” Baker said. “Our goal is really to come out fast and come out furious in the first event and continue that throughout the semester.”

Williams and the Dukes will head down to Charleston, South Carolina, to begin their spring campaign at Charleston Municipal Golf Course for the Oyster Shuck Match Play, Feb. 13-14.

“My personal goal this season is to play each tournament, each round and each shot as best as I can and not worry about the outcome as much,” Williams said. “And then for the team, to win a couple tournaments.”

CONTACT Madi Alley at alleyml@dukes. jmu.edu. For more women’s golf coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @ TheBreezeSports.

By SPORTS DESK The Breeze

Former men’s basketball head coach Lou Campanelli died Tuesday evening, JMU Athletics announced. He was 84 years old.

Campanelli is regarded as one of the most influential personalities of JMU Athletics and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1999.

“Lou Campanelli was an instrumental figure in the rise of JMU Athletics,” Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne said in a tweet Tuesday evening. “So many of his achievements contributed to where we are today.”

The former head coach came to JMU while the Dukes were competing as a nonscholarship program in 1972. From there, he put JMU basketball on the map for the first time, winning two NCAA Division II Championships and never having a record below 0.500 in his 13-year career.

In 1982, Campanelli’s Dukes held NBA legend Michael Jordan to just six points in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament before JMU ultimately fell to the eventual national champion Tar Heels, 52-50.

The late head coach had six former athletes and the 1981-82 team join him in the JMU Athletics Hall of Fame: Sherman Dillard (1989), Charles Fisher (2012), Steve Stielper (2002), Pat Dosh (1993), Linton Townes (1998) and Dan Ruland (2000). Campanelli left JMU in 1985 to coach at the University of California, accumulating a 238-118 record in Harrisonburg.

Campanelli also wrote a book called “Dare to Dream: How James Madison University became Co-Ed and Shocked the Basketball World” on his experience recruiting and coaching the men’s basketball team and how JMU transformed during his time in Harrisonburg.

“I will always remember the support and phone call he gave me during my second day on the job,” current men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington said Tuesday evening on Twitter. “My condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

CONTACT the sports desk at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.