BUTLER TWP — For Marissa DeCola, it's all about improvement.

That's what the Butler High School senior had in mind when she decided to continue her academic and golf career at Indiana University of the Big Ten.

DeCola opted for the Hoosiers over Seton Hall and the University of Illinois.

“I attended a short game camp out there last May because I had interest in that school and needed to get myself out there,” DeCola said. “I wanted to see what the coach could do for me, too.

“He helped me so much, just in that one day. I'm excited to think about how much he can help my game over the long haul.”

Indiana is coached by Clint Wallman, who has been head coach of the women's team for eight years.

“Marissa has been on our radar for a couple of years now,” Wallman said. “She has the heart of a Ninja. There is a fiery, competitive young woman inside that small body.

“You can't teach work ethic. This girl has the skill set and the drive and motivation to go with it.”

DeCola placed second in the regional tournament in her junior and senior seasons at Butler. She was one of only two freshmen to qualify for the PIAA meet in 2008 and has competed in the state tourney in each of her four high school years.

DeCola placed fourth in the state meet this year, ninth last year and 10th as a sophomore.

“Getting to play in the (state) tournament as an underclassmen really helped develop my game,” DeCola said. “There's nothing like facing the best competition out there. It shows you where your game is at and what you need to do to compete at the highest level.”

DeCola plans to major in business at Indiana. She admitted to targeting colleges in the southern states a couple of years ago.

“I did want to play down south, but after a while, I got used to playing in the cold, so why change?” she said. “Indiana is the best fit for me.

“The coach believes in my abilities. He genuinely believes I can be a great college player. That was a big factor in my decision to go there.”

Wallman compares DeCola to Laura Martin, a golfer at Indiana two years ago who is now on the Futures Tour with the LPGA.

“Laura flew in here a bit under the radar, just like Marissa, with solid skills and tremendous upside,” Wallman said. “Their situations are very similar. Marissa has that same motivation and her best golf is definitely in front of her.”

DeCola's parents have taken her to tournaments throughout Pennsylvania and in other states for 10 years now.

She received a set of golf clubs at age 6, took lessons with her brother Mark and has been developing her game ever since.

“Our summers have been golf tournaments,” said Joanne DeCola, Marissa's mother. “She's always loved the game. She's always worked at her game.”

Now her goals are soaring upward. DeCola said she wants to be Big Ten Freshman of the Year in women's golf next year and possibly win a tournament or two.

She also wants to be part of a Big Ten championship team and perhaps take a shot at the LPGA.

“That all depends on how my college career goes,” DeCola said of the LPGA. “If I believe my game is at that level, I'd definitely go for it.”

DeCola is one of three freshman recruits joining the Hoosiers. Another is from Ohio, the third from Germany.

“We get golfers from all over the place,” Wallman said. “Most golfers seek the sunshine states, so we have to find quality golfers interested in coming to our school.

“This is a highly competitive conference. We've had individual national champions and NCAA champions come out of this league. We had the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last year.

“Over the next four years, Marissa can certainly be part of a league championship team. We've got the horses. Now, we have to get them lined up properly at the gate,” Wallman added.

Indiana had only one senior on its team this season. The Hoosiers finished fifth in the Big Ten last year.