BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head women’s golf coach Roger Simpkins has announced the Mountain Hawks newest recruiting class, which consists of three student-athletes, including Jasmine Hughes (Yardley, Pa.), Ashley Amador (Middle Island, N.Y.), and Taylor Orr (Hopewell, N.J.). This trio of recruits will arrive at Lehigh with very impressive credentials, both on the links and in the classroom.
Jasmine Hughes attends Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. She won the Suburban One League girls championship in 2005 and again in 2007, shooting a 75 to earn the title by four strokes this past year. She also finished seventh at the 2006 District One Tournament, followed by another seventh place finish in that season’s Eastern Regional and a 20th place finish in the state tournament. Hughes finished her high school career with her highest finish ever at the state tournament (12th) and was honored as the Courier Times 2007 Golfer of the Year.
Hughes’ success was not limited to the high school level. She won the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) Championship at the Architects Club in Lopatcong, New Jersey this past October. Hughes tied the overall lead with Marissa Kamelgarn of Mahopac, New York, and the two headed for a playoff, where Hughes finished with a birdie on the par 3 second hole to win the crown. Hughes finished the day with a one round score of 74 to defeat one of the nation’s elite junior golfers.
A senior at Longwood High School in New York, Ashley Amador helped lead her high school team to its best finish in its six-year history in 2006. Longwood finished third in League III and also qualified for the Suffolk County team championships for the second straight season, placing fourth out of ten teams. Ashley finished the 2006 season with an individual record of 10-1, earning All-League and All-County honors. She was also a member of the Suffolk County team that won New York’s first-ever state championship, defeating Section III with a score of 579.
In 2007, Amador helped lead Section XI to its second straight New York state championship as she shot rounds of 82 and 81 to finish tenth in the state. In order to make the Section XI team, Amador had to finish in the top nine out of more than 100 golfers at the Suffolk Country Championships, and she wound up finishing eighth. Following the season Amador headed to Romania where she is currently in the midst of a nine-month stay as part of an exchange program.
The final member of Lehigh’s class of 2012 is Taylor Orr, who attends Hopewell Valley Central High School in New Jersey. Orr is a multi-sport star having played ice hockey and lacrosse in addition to golf. On the links Orr has played on many of the junior circuits, including the AJGA and the IJGT in 2006 and 2007, achieving top-five finishes in numerous IJGT events along the way. In 2005 Orr won the Hunterdon County Junior Girls Championship, while in 2007 she carded her first hole-in-one.
During her ice hockey playing days, Orr competed at the district, regional and national levels, serving as captain of her high school team, which ranked twelfth in the nation. As a lacrosse standout, Orr earned three varsity letters and helped her high school advance to the state finals, while during the summer months she was a member of the Central Jersey Select Team.
Lehigh’s current team members will begin their 2008 season on March 5 versus St. John’s in Ft. Paris, Florida.
