Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers to Host Home Invitational
4/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 3, 2001
Hoosiers to Host Indiana Invitational
Match Information
The Indiana women's golf team is hosting the annual Indiana Invite this weekend. Fourteen teams (Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, Southern Illinois, Kansas, Kent State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois State, Notre Dame, Ohio University) will join the Hoosiers in the competition. The first round will consist of 36 holes to be played on Saturday, April 7th with a shot-gun start at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, April 8th will conclude the competition with the final 18 holes beginning at 8:30 a.m. The course is 6700 yards with a par of 72.
Home Invitational
The Hoosiers first hosted this invitational in 1982-83 but it has only been an annual tournament since 1988-89. Indiana has never finished lower than third place in the Invitational and has won the event for the past three years. Last year, a score of 637 got the Hoosiers the victory. Of the current competitors for the Hoosiers, senior Natalie Tucker finished on top in a tie for second with a score of 154.
In the Rankings
According to the MasterCard Collegiate Golf rankings released March 28th, the Hoosiers are ranked 31st. Indiana senior Natalie Tucker is leading the pack ranked at No. 36. 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. 35 according to the April 2nd standings. Tucker is ranked No. 20 among the individual golfers.
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.
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. Most 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.
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 traveled to the first three 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 76.5 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 seven 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 73.4. In the first spring competition, Tucker finished tied for third and at the Peggy Kirk Bell she took sole posession of third place. 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'
Also a redshirt freshman last season, Danah Ford has begun to put her mark on the women's golf team. She has traveled with Indiana to all seven competitions and finished second for the Hoosiers in four of the seven. Ford has improved her scores at each tournament and is holding a 78.1 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 78.3 average. Her best finish of the season was a tie for 17th place at the Peggy Kirk Bell 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.
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 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.
