Lee women’s golf coach John Maupin believes he has landed the type of player who can quickly turn his third-year program into a national contender.

Geandra Zimmer de Almeida, who grew up playing golf in Joinville Santa Catarina, Brazil, is No. 1 in her country’s amateur-points rankings.

“This is a great day for our women’s golf program,” said Maupin after signing de Almeida. “I have gotten to know Geandra well over the last six months and I know that she is going to be a great addition to our program.

“She has had a very successful amateur golf career in Brazil,”added the Lee coach. “I look forward to watching that carry over to our tournaments. Geandra is a very talented player and has the ability to make a major impact for our team. She is an experienced player and that will be a great asset for her as she begins her collegiate career. “

Her husband, Estevao Mascaro de Almeida, is employed by the Cleveland division of Whirlpool. This has provided Geandra with time to play golf almost daily. The latest recruit sees herself as a good ball striker. She is solid with her driver and irons, but admits she must improve on her putting and short game.

“There are a lot more good players in America than Brazil,”she stressed. “I played soccer for fun, but it is very big in Brazil.”

Maupin expects his Lady Flames to field a much stronger team this season. “We only lost one player and have four returnees. I plan on signing one more player. We finished last season ranked 27th by the NAIA. This team is capable of doing a whole lot better.”