University of Richmond Athletics
Penn State's Rastede Named Richmond Women's Golf Coach
07/12/2005 | Women's Golf
July 12, 2005
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -
Former Penn State assistant and Methodist College All-American Leighann Rastede has been named the University of Richmond's new women's golf coach, Director of Athletics Jim Miller announced today.
Rastede, 25, from Sterling, Ill., graduated Cum Laude from Methodist with a double major in Business Administration and Marketing with a concentration in Professional Golf Management and a minor in Accounting.
She was co-captain of a squad which won the school's 15th national title in 2002, tying for fourth place individually and earning NCAA All-American and Academic All-American honors.
"We are extremely excited to add Leighann Rastede to our coaching staff,"
said LaRee Sugg, who started the Spiders' women's golf program three years ago before relinquishing her coaching duties following the spring season to become Richmond Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator.
"Her success as a high-achieving student-athlete, as well as her experience as one of only a handful of female Class "A" PGA teaching golf professionals makes her the ideal person to help our student-athletes navigate the path to success both on and off the golf course. Her strength as a teacher and natural abilities as a motivator will her propel Spider Golf to the next level."
Rastede mentored under Dana Rader, one of the top LPGA teaching professionals in the country. She joined the Penn State women's program as assistant coach in 2004 after teaching at the Dana Rader Golf School in Charlotte, N.C., a Golf Magazine Top-25 Golf School. She also served as a teaching assistant for Dr. Jim Suttie, who is ranked among the Top-15 Golf Digest's Greatest Teachers and is the 2000 National PGA Teacher of the Year.
While at Penn State, Rastede served as a head instructor at the Penn State Golf Camps and as an instructor at the Penn State Alumni golf schools.
"My experiences at Penn State were invaluable," said Rastede. "I thoroughly enjoyed working under Denise (St. Pierre) at Penn State. But I am also looking forward to taking all that I have learned to Richmond as I have been granted an outstanding opportunity there."
The Richmond women's golf program will begin its fourth season of intercollegiate competition this fall.