Jackie Booth Position: Head Coach Experience: 10th Year

Entering her 10th year at New Mexico and her 25th as a coach is UNM's most decorated women's golf coach, Jackie Booth.

Last season, Booth guided the Lobos to their 13th consecutive postseason appearance with a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Central Regional. UNM won two tournament titles, the Landfall Tradition and the Lady Gamecock Classic, and was ranked in the top 20 all season long, finishing at No. 15. In fact, the Lobos were ranked in the top 15 in all but one week of the season, capping an incredible run of 84 straight weeks in the top 15 spanning back to the 2003-04 season.

For the fifth straight year, New Mexico placed at least three student-athletes on the all-conference team. The Lobos once again led the league - for the fourth consecutive year - with three selections as Kailin Downs, Christine Fernandez and Ashley Rollins earned All-MWC accolades. Downs became the first four-time honoree in Mountain West history, while Rollins garnered back-to-back honors. Booth tutored Downs into one of the most successful golfers in program history. Downs closed out her storied career with a 74.38 scoring average, the best in the history of UNM women's golf, and was a two-time honorable mention All-American and Mountain West Golfer of the Year.

She was named the MWC Golfer of the Month in September and October, marking the sixth and seventh times she earned the award, and placed in the top five at 15 tournaments in her career.

In 2003-04, Downs received the 2004 Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award, which is awarded annually by the NGCA for academic and athletic excellence, represented the United States in the 2004 U.S. vs. Japan Collegiate Championship, and advanced to the round of 32 at the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.

All of the UNM single-season scoring-average records have also come in Booth's tenure. Besides owning the career average, Downs also has the sophomore record (74.10) and junior record (73.91). Katrina Leckovic has the senior mark (74.65) and Rollins possesses the freshman record (74.62). Booth's players also have an impressive track record in the classroom. Last year, Downs, Rollins, Christina Spence, Giselle Claux and Alexandra Phelps were named NGCA (National Golf Coaches Association) Scholar Athletes, equivalent to Academic All-America. It marked the fourth consecutive year Downs made the team and it was the third time for Spence. In addition, five players earned MWC Scholar-Athlete honors. In her tenure at UNM, Booth's players have been named NGCA Scholar-Athletes an impressive 20 times and conference scholar-athletes 29 times. As a team, the Lobos posted the third best GPA in the nation in 2004-05 with a 3.628 average.

In 2003-04, Booth led the Lobos to one of the finest seasons in program history. She directed the Lobos to their 12th consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, the highest NCAA seed in school history at No. 4, and the school's 12th showing at the NCAA Championships. In the fall of 2003, she guided the Lobos to three tournament titles and a No. 6 national ranking, including a third straight Dick McGuire Invitational title. The Lobos added another tournament title in the spring and were ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation. Another first for UNM arrived when the Lobos were ranked in the top 10 for 33 consecutive weeks; it finished the season ranked No. 6 in the final Golf Week rankings after tying for 15th at the NCAA Championships.

Booth's players racked up numerous awards for their efforts during the season. Four Lobos earned All-Mountain West honors and Ashley Rollins was named the MWC Freshman of the Year. Kailin Downs garnered MWC Golfer of the Month honors twice (September and February), while Katrina Leckovic captured the award in November.

In 2002-03, Booth guided the Lobos to their fourth consecutive Mountain West Conference Championship title as well as a berth in the NCAA Central Regional. For her efforts, Booth was named the 2002 Ladies Professional Golf Association National Coach of the Year for the second time in her career (1998), becoming only the third coach in history to garner the prestigious award twice. In addition, she earned MWC Coach of the Year honors for the third consecutive season and was named LPGA Central Section Coach of the Year for the fourth time (1996, 1998, 2001, 2003).

The Lobos led the conference brigade in honors in 2002-03 with four players being named all-conference, and finished the 2002-03 season scoring three tournament titles: the Dick McGuire Invitational, the Las Vegas Founders Women's Intercollegiate and their fourth straight MWC Championship, making it back-to-back seasons with three tournament wins. Throughout 2002-03, UNM was ranked in the top 20, peaking at No. 6.

Individually, Booth coached Downs to another stellar season, as the sophomore became the first player in the history of the MWC to win back-to-back Golfer of the Year honors. Downs completed the season with a 74.1 stroke average, establishing a new UNM sophomore record. Additionally, Leckovic captured medalist honors at the MWC Championships. Not only does Booth continue to push the Lobos to pursue their goals, but helps develop their talents off the course as well.

Since taking over the head coaching duties in the fall of 1997, Booth has led the Lobos to four conference titles and an eighth, 15th and 21st place finishes at the NCAA Women's Golf Championships. The foundation Booth has laid for the women's golf program has helped establish the Lobos as a formidable, competitive team battling the nation's best at each tournament.

"Since I've been with the Lobo program our focus remains on reaching the pinnacle of collegiate golf, the NCAA title," said Booth. "The student-athletes continue to step up and give everything they have and it shows by the success they've achieved. They are able to challenge themselves and it translates into improvement both on and off the course."

Booth has coached in three difficult and competitive conferences: the Big West, the Western Athletic Conference and now the Mountain West. The Lobos look to establish a standard in the MWC and have proven they are the team to beat in conference, winning four of the conference's first six championships.

"We have a great future ahead of us," said Booth. "We've always had the attitude of wanting to win every tournament. Everything is coming together for our team and it has been very exciting to be a part of it all. I see UNM making some big moves as a top-10 team and NCAA title contender. We have a lot to look forward to this year."

In 82 tournament appearances under Booth, the Lobos have finished in the top five on 39 occasions and in the top 10 on 62 occasions.

Booth's coaching background includes a 15-year tenure at New Mexico State University, UNM's instate rival. When presented with the opportunity to coach the Lobos, Booth knew that the University of New Mexico was where she was going to build a national championship team. In August of 1997, after a tour of the campus, the weight room, the training room and foremost, the new short game practice facility, Booth made her decision to accept the position at UNM.

"The University of New Mexico made a huge commitment to having a successful women's golf program," said Booth. "I am proud they have faith in my ability to lead the team and will enjoy the challenge of building a nationally recognized program. The short game practice facility was a key factor in my coming to UNM. The university is great and the course is the best in the country. I look forward to being in Albuquerque for many years and piecing together a team that will win a national championship."

Following a highly successful tenure at NMSU as head coach of the Roadrunners from 1992-97, Booth was affiliated with the program 10 years prior to that as an assistant coach. Booth guided the NMSU women's golf program into one of national prominence. Under her guidance as head coach the Roadrunners made five NCAA West Regional appearances, two NCAA appearances, plus NMSU finished in the top-28 five straight years. Booth worked with three All-Americans, over 20 all-conference selections, one Academic-All American and 36 academic all-conference selections while at NMSU. For her efforts Booth was named Big West Coach of the Year three times (1995, '96, '97) successively.

While directing the team on the course, off the course plays a major role in Booth's philosophy. While at NMSU and UNM, Booth has had 100 percent of her players graduate - a staggering, almost unheard of figure in collegiate athletics.

"One of the priorities a player has to realize is that success can and must be achieved on and off the course," said Booth. "The difficulties of playing collegiate athletics and a schedule that demands an extraordinary amount of time can be as much of a challenge as the most difficult golf course. Dedication to both academics and athletics is mandatory."

Booth's goals are now focused on winning the MWC, winning the NCAA Championship, graduating 100 percent of her players, helping the players achieve their goals and, last but not least, to have fun.

As a player Booth was also a standout on the golf course, becoming the first female to earn a varsity letter while playing for the Las Cruces High School boys team. Booth finished fourth as an individual during the New Mexico State 4A tournament in 1973.

Booth is a 1977 graduate of Brigham Young University where she earned a bachelor's degree in Recreation Education. She was a two-year letterwinner in golf at BYU where she played in the No. 3 position in the lineup.

Married to Kevin, they have three children: James (25), Scott (23), and Craig (22).

Lobos Women's Golf

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