By: Adi Bryant

It's pronounced "Pan-tay-leon" and don't forget it. She joked as she broke down the syllables in her last name.

For college freshman Heather Pantalion, playing competitive golf is nothing new. Now she is playing for Texas A&M University-Commerce where she has made a direct impact on the team as one of its top players.

Heather is a tall young woman with a bright personality. Even though she may have a serious expression, it is typically broken up with a small child-like giggle.

Pantalion's demeanor on and off of the golf course is something to admire. She can be found at practice helping teammates with their swing techniques. The newcomer has also been involved in recruiting for next year's team according to Dr. Louie Bledsoe, men's and women's golf team coach.

Bledsoe's main philosophy is that golf is 90% mental and 10% physical. He is known for saying, "It is the six inches between your ears that causes a bad round of golf."

If this is the case, Pantalion should shoot par every time. Her teammates noted the difficulty of knowing how she is playing during a round. When most players are emotional and frustrated, she is still giggling down the fairway.

"I stay positive during a round of golf because anything can happen. It's important to remember that one bad hole can be followed by five good holes," said Pantalion.

The fall season came to an end in October with an outstanding performance by Pantalion and the Lions. The lone freshman fired a second round of 77 to put her in 15th place and to boost the Lions into second place. Her score helped the team set one of the lowest rounds ever recorded in school history.

Commenting on Heather's overall play in her first semester, Bledsoe said, "She came in better than average for most freshmen. She has already made an impact and I look for her to be a major player this spring and to be an intricate part of next year's team."

2001-2005 member of the Lady Lion golf team, Katie McCranie, sees the potential in the bright young player as well. "It is so important to have a positive attitude on the golf course. Heather has a way of emotionally detaching from the game. Her cheery disposition is contagious for the girls on the team," said McCranie.

Born Temple Texas, Pantalion graduated from Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas in May of 2006. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Paul Pantalion. She has one younger brother named Marshall.

Pantalion's scoring average at the end of her first college fall season was an 81.8. This is notably one of the lowest scoring averages recorded by a freshman in school history. One of her goals for the upcoming spring season is to finish with several top ten finishes. Her high school career was quite exceptional as well. She recorded more than 15 top-10 finishes in her career at Hendrickson High School, including winning the District 26-4A medalist title as a junior. She also placed third in district play her senior year and finished 11th in the region.

The Lions will begin the spring season in Austin on March 5-6 at the St. Edward's Invitational. The event will be held at The Golf Club at Circle C.

Editor's Note:Adi Bryant is a senior journalism and public relations major at Texas A&M-Commerce and also a teammate of Heather Pantalion.