It appears only a superstar will be able to fill the shoes of senior NIU golfer Nicole Jeray.

Jeray has all but a week left in her illustrious Huskie golfing career, but her name will be remembered for a long time. With the honors she has earned and the impressions she has left, it’s doubtful she will ever be forgotten.

Last week, Jeray was named the 1991 women’s Player of the Year by the Greater Chicago Golf Media Association. It is the first time the award has been given out in several years.

Last summer, Jeray participated in two Ladies Professional Golf Association tournaments in which she was only one of three amateurs to qualify.

Last season, Jeray led the Huskie squad to its best fall performance ever as the top individual.

She’s quite an impressive individual on the greens, but according to head coach Pam Tyska, it’s Jeray’s disposition off the course that always puts her one step ahead.

“The whole Nicole Jeray package is very impressive,” Tyska said. “She’s a great golfer, she’s a nice person, and she’s very easy to get along with.

“She has had a lot of success for a 21-year-old and she handles it very well. When you get that much attention as an individual, it’s often easy to worry about yourself rather than the team.

“But not Nicole. She’s very team-oriented and realizes it takes four scores to win. Nicole is just a really fine person.”

Jeray will not graduate until next December which allows her an extra semester to work on her game before trying to make a career out of golf. Jeray will play the role of assistant coach to Tyska during that time, fine tuning not only her own game, but her ex-teammates as well.

“That extra time will definitely benefit me,” Jeray said. “I’ll have time to practice my game before I try to make the tour.

“I’m going to try and play in three LPGA tournaments this summer because that’s what it’s all about. All the people are watching you play, you get a feel for what the tour is like, and I get a feel for what I want to do for the rest of my life.

“I hope my career does not end here, but if it does, I know it’s been a great experience. I’ve had a great time, the team has been great, and the coach has been great.”

Jeray and company play 36 holes today in Nebraska followed by 18 tomorrow. The Huskies close out their season next weekend at Purdue University.