Dawn West's golf career has taken across the country. She can now check off another destination as she accepted the head coaching position for the women's golf program at the University of Northwestern Ohio.

"The university has been showing so much growth in the last couple of years that it is a unique and exciting opportunity to get in there and try to grow that program and grow with the rest of the university," West said. "I'm excited to see what we can do with that program."

West comes to UNOH with experience in the high school, collegiate and professional ranks. A native of Eldridge, Iowa, West received a golf scholarship to the University of Missouri. She was a four year letterwinner and team captain in 1997.

She placed fourth in the 1997 Missouri Women's State Amateur, also qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur in Brae Burn, Massachusetts.

After graduation, she then played on the Futures Tour for five years. West was a finalist on The Golf Channel's Big Break show in 2005. From 2007-2009, She had three top-10 finishes in the Ohio Women's Open Tournament.

West is a teaching professional, first at courses in Missouri and recently at Golf Crest Driving Range in Lima and Wapakoneta Country Club. She has been teaching private lessons for 14 years.

West started the girls golf program at Wapakoneta High School six years ago. She was also the head women's golf coach at Ohio Northern University for the 2009 spring season.

"Not only coaching both of those levels, I played at both of those levels," West said. "Coaching high school and coaching college are two different things. … I definitely think the experience of both helps me adapt to whatever is thrown my way."

At least for the upcoming season, West will remain as the head golf coach at Wapakoneta, an arrangement she's worked out with UNOH athletic director Chris Adams and Wapkoneta A.D. Brad Rex. After the fall 2012 season, she will revisit the arrangement and evaluate it.

The Lady Racers finished seventh out of nine teams in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in the 2011 autumn season. The roster includes two seniors, Christy Barnes and Melissa Finch, and a junior, Chelsea Crow.

"I am actually really excited to have Dawn as our coach," Crow said. "We have a young, talented team, we just need someone to help us improve course management and fundamentals of our golf swing, our approach shots, chip shots, and putting; I think Dawn will help us all improve our overall golf game and take strokes off our score. I can't wait for the season to start."

One of the newest adjustments for West will be recruiting, something she didn't get a chance to do at Ohio Northern and couldn't do at Wapakoneta. With the impending graduation of the two seniors and other roster spots to fill, she already knows what type of athlete she's looking for.

"What I want to look for in a player is not just their play capabilities, although that is important, but I want to look for a player who is well-rounded in everything," West said. "As a student-athlete, you will do much better if you are well-rounded in life. I'm going to look for girls who are not just dedicated to golf, but dedicated to themselves."