Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Heads to Buckeye Invite
4/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 17, 2001
Hoosiers Head to Columbus for Final Invitational of Regular Season
Match Information
The Indiana women's golf team will close out its regular season this weekend as they head to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the 22nd Annual Buckeye Invitational. IU will be part of a 16 team field (Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Furman, Illinois, Kent State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Ohio University, Stetson, Toledo, William & Mary, Wisconsin, Xavier). The 54-hole tournament will be played on the University Scarlet Course. The first two rounds will be played on Saturday, April 21st and the final 18 holes will be played on Sunday, April 22nd. Both days will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a shot-gun start. The course is 6,037 yards with a par of 72.
Competing in Columbus
The Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational has been an annual event for the past 21 years. Indiana has only participated in the Invite twice before, in '95-96 and '99-00. The Hoosiers finished in 2nd place in 1996 with a 638 (36 holes) and shot a 943 (54 holes) last year to finish in fourth place. Last year, as a junior, Inga Snyder was IU's top finisher in 2000. Snyder finished in a tie for 3rd place with a score of 229. Ohio State is the defending champion with a team score of 929 in last season's event. The individual low total is held by former Buckeye Bethany Overstake who shot a 214 over 54 holes in 1998. Indiana's Erica Wicoff holds the tournament low for 36 holes with a 151 shot in 1996. The team low total is an 881 shot by Ohio State in 1998.
In the Rankings
According to the MasterCard Collegiate Golf rankings released April 11th, the Hoosiers are ranked 29th. Indiana senior Natalie Tucker is leading the pack ranked at No. 30 Tucker topped the Sagarin rating charts in the Big Ten Individual Standings to start the spring. Four other Hoosiers were also ranked in the conference 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.
Golfweek.com also posts rankings and picks the Hoosiers at No. 34 according to the April 11th standings. Tucker is ranked No. 19 among the individual golfers. Senior Inga Snyder is also among the rankings at No. 77.
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.
Impressive Field of Competition
This weekend's Buckeye Invitational will feature seven teams among the top 50 in the national rankings. Five of the teams rank in the top 30. Leading the pack is Big Ten foe Northwestern ranked at No. 16. Illinois is right on the Wildcat's heels, ranked at No. 17. Michigan State at No. 23, Kent State at No. 27, and Furman at No. 29 top the Hoosiers ranking of No. 34.
That 70's Show
Freshman Karen Dennison made her first spring road trip of the year to the Hawkeye Invitational last weekend. In her first round, Dennison shot a 70, three under the par for the course. The 18-hole total was the lowest round shot for the tournament as well as a career-low for Dennison.
Individual Performers
Three Hoosiers competed as individuals at the Indiana Invite April 7th and 8th. Two of them finished in the top 20 among the individual golfers. Freshman Karen Dennison finished tied for 15th with a 236 and redshirt Cara Stuckey shot a 237 to finish in a tie for 18th place. The two were fourth and fifth respectively among the Hoosiers.
Career Rounds
Several Hoosiers have shot career rounds or finished with career three-round totals this year during fall and spring competition.
Adrienne Grassle: shot a 78 at the Northern Invitational this past fall, finishing with a career total of 240.
Inga Snyder: Tied career round with a 71 at the GTE "Mo"morial and has had two top three-round performances. Snyder shot a 230 at the GTE and a 236 at the Indiana Invite.
Cara Stuckey: Tied career round of 77 at the Northern and Legends Invitationals. Most recently career-low 236 at the Indiana Invite.
Natalie Tucker: Tied career round with 69 at the Stanford Invitational. Also tied a career-best three round total with a 218 at the Stanford Invite.
Ambry Bishop: Shot a career best 73 at the Baylor/Iowa Shootout with her best three round total of 227 at the Legends Invitational.
Danah Ford: Finished with a 227 at the Legends Invitational, shooting a career round of 74.
Karen Dennison: Shot a best-round 70 at the Hawkeye Invitational, finishing with a low three round total of 231.
Golfer of the Week
Senior Natalie Tucker shot a final round of 72 at the Baylor/Iowa Shootout and then won a playoff to take the individual title. Her efforts were recognized as she was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week the week of March 26th. Tucker has finished out of the top 10 individual golfers in only one tournament in the 2000-2001 season. Of the seven competitions, she finished among the top three golfers in five.
High Ranking Bishop
Freshman Ambry Bishop is making her name known among the Indiana women's golf team. Recently she shot a career-low 73 at the Baylor/Iowa Shootout to finish at seven-over-par with a 151 and sole possession of third place in the tournament. Bishop also traveled to the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational and finished in a tie for 17th place among the individual golfers.
The Right Start
The Hoosiers knew how they wanted to start the spring season - at the top. They did just that finishing in first place at the GTE "Mo"morial and shot only one stroke higher than the leader for a second place finish at the Peggy Kirk Bell. The Hoosiers continued their winning ways at the Baylor/Iowa Shootout, taking the tournament crown with a two-round total of 608. Indiana has finished in first or second place in four of the five tournaments this spring.
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.
Up to Par
Coach Carmichael will travel with six Hoosiers to the Buckeye Invitational. Four of the six scores will count and two will participate on an individual level. The six on the travel squad are Natalie Tucker, Inga Snyder, Tiffany Fisher, Danah Ford, Cara Stuckey, and Karen Dennison.
Smooth Swinging Snyder
The leader of the team, senior Inga Snyder is entering her final year as a Hoosier. Snyder has competed in all five tournaments this spring and had her best finish at the Baylor/Iowa Shootout. Snyder finished tied for fourth after shooting rounds of 76 each day. She also finished in a tie for 13th place at the GTE "Mo"morial and tied for 11th place at the Peggy Kirk Bell. She is averaging a 77.3 this season.
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 nine competitions of the season. Only once has she not finished in the top ten in the individual scores. Tucker holds a current season average of 74.1. In the first spring competition, Tucker finished tied for third and at the Peggy Kirk Bell she took sole posession of third place. Her best finish was the individual crown at the Baylor/Iowa Shootout. 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.
Ford Keeps on Truckin'
A redshirt freshman last season, Danah Ford has begun to put her mark on the women's golf team. She has participated with Indiana in eight competitions and finished second for the Hoosiers in four of the eight. Ford keeps improving her scores and is holding a 78.8 average.
Fishing for a Win
Junior Tiffany Fisher looks to help lead the team to victory this season. Through fall and spring competition, she is maintaining a 78.1 average. Her best finish of the season was a tie for 13th place at the Indiana Invitational
Ready for Action
After being red-shirted their freshmen seasons, Shannon Carney, Jenna Finlinson, 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 Terre Haute, Ind., native, Cara Stuckey is working hard for the Hoosier lineup. She participated in two of the fall invitationals and competed as an individual at the GTE "Mo"morial and Indiana Invitational.
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.
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 and recently tied for 15th place at the Indiana Invitational where she competed as an individual.
Ambry Bishop is looking to make an immediate impact on IU women's golf. 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.
