Indiana University Athletics
Indiana to Open Spring Season
3/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
March 3, 2001
Hoosiers Prepare to Start Spring Season
Match Information
The Hoosiers join 17 teams (Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, SMU, Texas A & M, Texas Tech, UTEP, Wichita State, Sam Houston State University, and McLennan Community College) to participate in the GTE "Mo"morial in Houston, Texas. It is a 54-hole tournament with five players per team, counting the lowest four scores each day. Tee times on both Monday, March 5 and Tuesday, March 6 are at 8 a.m. The par of the 6125 yard course is 72.
Traveling to Texas
Indiana has never competed in the GTE "Mo"morial in the past. The tournament itself is in its 8th year of existence. This is the second year it has been held at the Pine Forest Country Club in Houston, Texas.
In the Rankings
According to the Sagarin ratings released February 14, Indiana senior Natalie Tucker is leading the pack among the Big Ten Individual Player Ratings. Four other Hoosiers are also ranked with red-shirt freshman Danah Ford at No. 29, junior Tiffany Fisher at No. 38, red-shirt freshman Cara Stuckey at No. 56 and true freshman Ambry Bishop at No. 67. New MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings will also be available March 7th.
Meet Head Coach Sam Carmichael
Sam Carmichael, seven-time Big Ten Women's Coach of the Year, is now in his 21st season as Indiana's women's golf coach. Before Carmichael directed his attention soley to the women's golf program in 1998, he spent nine years as IU's men's golf coach. During his time as the men's coach, Carmichael won Coach of the Year honors twice (1991 and 1998) and the 1991 and the 1998 Big Ten title.
In 1981, Carmichael assumed the position of head coach for the IU women's team, which he has led to seven Big Ten Championships in the last 13 years and 10 top-three finishes. During a 16-year span from 1984-99, Indiana is the only team in the Big Ten to place in the top three every year. Also, Indiana's seven Big Ten titles are the most won by any school in the league.
Carmichael has been named Big Ten Women's Coach of the year seven times and has received NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors four times.
Carmichael Comments
"We have had great success here at Indiana both, in the Big Ten and at the national level. IU has so much to offer to a women's golf player. From the facilitites, to the academics, to the community, to one of the top campuses in the nation. There are few universities that have the tradition and comittment to excellent to the sport of women's golf that Indiana University has."
Invite Intuition
Coach Carmichael and his team are looking to improve the fall performances.
"The GTE "Mo" morial is a new tournament for us. Top teams in the region will be entered so we have to be ready to play even though it is our first tournament of the spring.
Up to Par
Coach Carmichael will travel to Texas with a group of five Hoosiers. Natalie Tucker, Inga Snyder, Danah Ford, Tiffany Fisher and Cara Stuckey will compete in tournament play with the top four scores counting each day.
Big Ten Preview
The Hoosiers will compete against two Big Ten schools at the GTE "Mo"morial in Northwestern and Ohio State. The Ohio State Buckeyes began their spring season February 14th, competing in the TRW Regional Challenge and finishing 8th. The Buckeyes then finished 2nd February 25th at the Midwest Classic.
The Northwestern Wildcats also competed in the Midwest Classic, finishing ninth among the 18 competitors.
Stuckey Smarts
Red-shirt freshman Cara Stuckey recently received the Indiana University Scholastic Achievement Award for women's golf. This award, established in 1979, honors the academic excellence of one athlete every year in each varsity sport at Indiana, as well as the Student Athletic Board.
Iron Women
A young group of women make up the golf team this year. Only three seniors are returning, one with junior eligibility status. They are joined by three red-shirted freshmen, three true freshmen, one sophomore, and one junior. The state of Indiana sports 11 of the 13 golfers on the team. The two "out-of-staters" are from LaCrosse, Wis. and Easton, Penn.
Smooth Swinging Snyder
The leader of the team, senior Inga Snyder is entering her final year as a Hoosier. Snyder maintained a 78.5 average in 25 rounds last season. She tied for third in the Lady Buckeye Invitational with a 229 for her best finish of the season. Snyder was also awarded academic All-Big Ten honors her junior year.
Tucker Attack
Senior Natalie Tucker is in her second season on the Indiana women's golf team. Tucker has been Indiana's top finisher in all four competitions of the season. In the final fall tournament, Tucker finished seventh at the Stanford Invite. She scored a 222 and placed tied for 14th at the Legends Invitational. Tucker shot a 221 for a second place finish at the Northern Invitational and finished tied for third in the Fossum Invitational. She has been a top Hoosier after transfering to Indiana from University of Memphis. In her first season with IU she earned All-Big Ten honors and was an honorable mention All-American. Tucker placed fifth at the Big Ten Championship and 28th at the NCAA Eastern Regionals.
Fishing for a Win
Junior Tiffany Fisher looks to help lead the team to victory this season. Fisher competed in the four Invitationals in the fall and is maintaining a 78 average. Through her freshman and sophomore year, she has had 11 top-25 finishes. She tied for 26th in the Big Ten Championships her sophomore season with a 307. Off the course, she received academic All-Big Ten honors last year.
Ready for Action
After being red-shirted their freshmen seasons, Shannon Carney, Jenna Finlinson, Danah Ford, and Cara Stuckey are ready to spark the Hoosiers into action.
Carney is a four-year letterwinner in golf, was a four-time conference champion and four-time first team All-Conference selection. She was also awarded conference Player of the Year twice. She has worked through last season to develop her long game and develop strength and distance.
Finlinson did not play competitive golf until she arrived at Indiana last year. She has been working hard and continuing to improve, hoping to help the Hoosiers.
A four-year letterwinner in golf and track, Ford was named to the All-State team her senior year of high school. She has traveled with Indiana to all four fall competitions and finished second for the Hoosiers in three of the four. Ford has improved her scores at each tournament and is holding a 76.7 average. She is also a four-time All-Conference and All-County selection. Indiana looks for Ford to step up and compete this year.
A Terre Haute, Ind., native, Cara Stuckey is working hard for the Hoosier lineup. She participated in two of the fall invitationals and is headed to Texas for the beginning of spring competition.
Once a Buckeye...
Now a Hoosier, sophomore Mary Lidester played 20 rounds for Ohio State last season. Her best finish was tied for 16th at the Indiana Invitational.
On the Green Graessle
Sophomore Adrienne Graessle is expected to step up for Indiana this year and be an impact player. She traveled to the Northern Invitational, the Mary Fossum, and the Stanford competition for the Hoosiers this season, competing once as an individual and twice for the team. She has kept an 81 average this past fall. After being red-shirted her freshman season, Graessle competed in five rounds last year posting an average of 86. Her best finish was at the Fossum Invitational where she tied for 52nd shooting 259.
Driving Forces
Three freshmen hope to help the Hoosiers to their eighth Big Ten title.
Karen Dennison, from Madison, Ind., is a four-time All-Conference and two-time conference champion. She finished second in the state tournament her senior year. Dennison has participated in two competitions in the fall.
Ambry Bishop is looking to make an immediate impact on IU women's golf. She traveled to three of the competitions this season and finished tied for 28th at the Legends Invitational. She is a four-year letterwinner and was named to the Indiana All-State golf team four years in a row. At Franklin High School in Franklin, Ind., Bishop was a three time team MVP and a two-time All-Conference. She finished eighth last summer in the State Amatuer and also in the 2000 Indiana PGA Women's Open Championship.
Bethany Brunner joins the Hoosiers from Martinsville, Ind., where she led her golf team to four straight IHSAA state championships. She was named All-State four consecutive years and was regional champion in 1999.
