April 13, 2007
Northern Illinois junior golfer Abbie Many (Mount Prospect, Ill.) has turned in her most impressive season to date, as the Mount Prospect, Ill., native currently leads the Huskies with a 79.5 stroke average in 22 rounds of play. Many earned co-medalist honors at the NIU Snowbird Intercollegiate and picked up Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors for the period ending March 21st with a two-round tally of 152 (79-73).
Why did you decide to come to NIU?
AM: "I looked at both Northern [Illinois] and Eastern [Illinois], but if I didn't play golf I was going to attend Illinois State. However, I really liked both the coaches and the team here at Northern Illinois. It is a good fit because DeKalb is only an hour away from my house so I can still stay in relatively close contact with my parents."
What do you enjoy most about being on the golf team here at NIU?
AM: "I like the fact that coming in as a freshman I had an immediate family in my teammates. Also, the continued support from the entire athletic department is very encouraging."
What is the toughest part about being an athlete here at NIU?
AM: "Time management. I am really busy every week, so I am forced to manage my schedule and complete homework in my free time away from golf.
What is your most memorable moment at NIU?
AM: "This is a tough question because there has been so many, but I would have to say that I enjoy every minute of our annual trip to Mexico for the Baja Invitational. It's a lot of fun because I like being close to the ocean. Also, our team Florida trip is pretty cool because we get to go to Busch Gardens."
How do you prepare for a big meet? What goes through your mind right before the competition starts?
AM: "I have many pre-match processes. Of course I was much more nervous my freshman year, but I have learned how to relax and compose myself before I tee off. Often times I just take a big deep breath before my first shot."
Who has been your biggest inspiration in your career?
AM: "I don't really have a favorite professional athlete, but I know that my parents are definitely the most supportive. My dad taught me how to play golf when I was seven years old and my parents always managed to make it to my meets, even if they were held far away from home. At NIU, my friends and teammates are great sources of support also."
What is your favorite saying of head coach Pam Tyska?
AM: "No specific saying comes to mind, but coach Tyska wears a sweatshirt during big matches that says, `Expect to Win.' It motivates me and gives us [the team] confidence."
How has being a student-athlete here at NIU helped or changed you?
AM: "Again, I have made major improvements in my time management. Also, I feel that I have learned how to enjoy and appreciate the game of golf more while playing on the collegiate level."
What is your favorite class? What is your least favorite class?
AM: "Currently I enjoy Measurement and Evaluation and Kinesiology. Anatomy is a class that I have taken that I also found interesting. Biology and Psychology are probably my least favorite classes."
What is your favorite activity outside of golf? Why?
AM: "I love doing anything outdoors, including numerous outdoor sports. I also like to play card games like cribbage when I am not outside or golfing."
Where is your favorite place to eat in Dekalb? Why?
AM: "My favorite restaurant is Panera Bread because they serve good soup and sandwiches. It's basically all I eat."
Who would play you in a movie about your life? Why?
AM: "Bonnie Hunt would play me for no real reason other than she has blond hair like me and a good sense of humor. It is cool that I am sort of connected to her because her sister works with my mom."
The song I can't stop listening to right now is...
AM: "I have two, `This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race' by Fall Out Boy and `We Didn't Start the Fire' by Billy Joel. I am trying to memorize the words."
I am the video game champion of...
AM: "`Either Dr. Mario or the first Mario on original Nintendo."
TV show I can't stop watching right now is...
AM: "Well, I have about five favorites, but if I had to pick one it would either be the series `Planet Earth' on the Discovery Channel or `Grey's Anatomy.'"
My favorite All Time Movie is...
AM: "`Antitrust.'"
The words I try to live by are...
A: "It's not the amount of breaths you take, it's the number of moments that take your breath away."
