Washington graduate Deanna Peiffer hits a putt during the Southeast Conference Tournament May 10 at Washington Golf and Country Club. Photo by KCII Sports Nate Gonner.

Washington graduate Deanna Peiffer has seen her fair share of success on the golf course but her collegiate coach believes she’s only touched the surface of her potential. Nik Rule is embarking on his seventh season as the Head Women’s Golf Coach of the William Penn University Statesmen, and spoke to KCII Sports about his team’s recent success and the recruitment of Peiffer.

In December, Peiffer signed a letter of intent to play women’s golf for William Penn University. Under Rule, the Statesmen have won three straight NAIA conference titles, the first two in the Midwest Conference and the most recent title as a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Rule points to Peiffer’s competitive drive as the top reason for recruiting her, stating it’s hard to teach someone to have a burning desire to win. He was also drawn to Peiffer’s ability to play 18-holes of golf and her high level performance in the classroom as well. The recent 2016 Washington graduate posted back-to-back top 10 individual performances at the Class 4A state tournament as a junior and senior, helping the Demons capture two team state titles.

Rule says one of the biggest adjustments Peiffer will encounter during her transition to college golf is the length of the course. He says the courses used for the Iowa High School State Tournament encompass 5,400 yards while the minimum length of college courses is 5,800 yards. Rule also stated he likes his golfers to be proficient around the greens, carding on average 30 putts through 18 holes.

Hear the full interview with Rule on this week’s PM Sports Page, debuting Wednesday at 6 p.m. on KCII.