“I love the competitive aspect of it,” BP senior Jo Baranczyk said. “I love that you can practice as much as you want, but in the end, it is about how well you can handle pressure.” 

Jo began her golf journey on a local course with her family at as young as five years old. She officially started competing in golf tournaments at the age of nine and knew she would play in college ever since. She was brought into the sport by her family; her mother, father, and two older brothers all enjoyed their time golfing. Despite being the youngest among them, she never backed down.

 “I was always trying to keep up with my brother Jed,” she said. “Even when I was really young I played the same distance as them and was always trying to beat them.”

Now, after 13 years of constantly competing with her family, she has found herself in the same place her brother was only three years ago. 

“Jed is also at NDSU, so we’ll be there for a year together,” Jo said.

Jo and Jed get to have an amazing experience very few have. Starting out challenging each other as kids and now having the opportunity of representing a high-achieving golf program at North Dakota State University. 

Originally Jo was interested in Missouri State, University of Loyola Chicago, and Santa Clara University. NDSU was not initially on Jo’s radar, but she grew to love it. 

“I wasn’t really considering it at the time, and I don’t think you normally think of going to North Dakota to play golf, but I really liked the environment,” Jo said. “It felt a lot like Green Bay. It felt like home.”

Jo would like to thank everyone who has supported her thus far, starting with her parents. They constantly cheered her on whether it was from the course or from home checking the scores online all day long. Along with her family, Jo is especially appreciative of her amazing coaches and teammates who she continues to learn from everyday.