Sophomore Claudia Ochoa (Fairfax, VA/Robinson Secondary) returns to the Penn State Altoona golf program this fall looking to build on her accomplishments from last season.

In 2016, Ochoa became the first female varsity golfer at Penn State Altoona in eight years. She competed in six rounds of golf and recorded an average score of 96.4, and her top finish came on October 3 when she placed first individually in the women's golf portion of the Penn State Behrend Invitational. 

This fall, head coach Tom Koehle expects her to improve in her second season of college golf.

"Claudia is coming along very well. She is a bit inconsistent with her tee ball, and it's something we are working on day-to-day," said Koehle, who is in his 12th season overall as the head coach of the Penn State Altoona golf program. "When she gets her tee ball in play, she usually posts great scores. Her iron game and wedge game are fantastic, which helps her scoring."

With some adjustments to her game and having the experience of playing one season at the collegiate level, Koehle believes that Ochoa can improve upon her performances from last season.

"I really expect Claudia to be near the top of the leaderboard at all of her events," he stated. "She has a year under her belt and knows what to expect on the course. Once she is committed to a positive mindset with the driver, the sky is the limit."

Ochoa is expected to compete at several events this season for Penn State Altoona, including the Lions' home invitational (Saturday, September 16), the Mount Aloysius College Invitational (Sunday, September 17), and the Penn State Behrend Invitational (Monday, October 2).