Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Look to Advance With Top Showing at Regionals
5/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 7, 2001
Indiana Heads to NCAA West Regional
Match Information
The Indiana women's golf team is part of a 21-team field that will be competing in the NCAA West Regional competition this week. Oregon State will host the three day tournament on Thursday, May 10 through Saturday, May 12. The competition is made up of 54 holes, 18 each day, with each round beginning at 7:30 a.m. PDT. This is the first year Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Ore., will host an NCAA regional event. The course is 6089 yards with a par of 72. Golfweek magazine rates the course the third best collegiate facility on the West Coast.
Tournament Competitors
Indiana is part of a 21-team field for the NCAA West Regional. Seven of the teams are conference champions. Among the teams competing are: Arizona (Pac-10), USC, Stanford, Tennessee, Ohio State, Arizona State, UCLA, Michigan State (Big Ten), Washington, Furman (Southern), Indiana, Oregon, Memphis (CUSA), Missouri, Colorado State, Nevada, Oregon State, BYU, Central Connecticut State (Northeast), SW Missouri State (MVC), Weber State (Big Sky).
In the Rankings
Golfweek.com posts rankings and picks the Hoosiers at No. 33 according to the May 2nd standings. Tucker is ranked No. 33 among the individual golfers. Senior Inga Snyder is also among the rankings at No. 99.
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
Fourteen of the 21 schools in the NCAA West Regional are ranked in the top 50 in the nation. Nine of the teams are in the top 25 and four are in the top 10. Here is a look at the golfweek.com rankings. (May 2nd)
School Rank
Arizona 2
USC 3
Stanford 4
Tennessee 7
Arizona State 13
Ohio State 18
Michigan State 20
UCLA 22
Washington 24
Furman 30
Indiana 34
Missouri 39
Oregon 46
Memphis 50
Nevada 51
Colorado State 52
Oregon State 54
BYU 58
Weber State 101
SW Miss. St. 119
Taking it a Step Further
The top eight teams from each of the three Regionals (East, Central, West), as well as an additional two individuals from teams not qualifying will advance to the NCAA Championships. The Championships are scheduled for May 22-25 at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
All-Big Ten
Two Indiana seniors competed in their last Big Ten Tournament at the end of April. Natalie Tucker and Inga Snyder were rewarded for their impressive efforts this year by being named to the 2001 All-Big Ten team. For Tucker, this is the second straight year she has received the honor.
Making a Comeback
The Hoosiers took part in the grueling 72-hole Big Ten Tournament at Minnesota April 27-29. After the first 36 holes, the Hoosiers were only two shots back of leader Michigan State. Through winds of 20 miles-per-hour on the second day of competition, Indiana fell to fifth place with only 18 holes to play. Star senior, Natalie Tucker dropped to a tie for 20th place. The Hoosiers came out for the final day in full force, coming back to finish in a tie for 2nd place overall. Tucker moved herself all the way from 20th to 10th place and junior Tiffany Fisher shared fifth place to lead all Hoosiers.
That 70's Show
Freshman Karen Dennison made her first spring road trip of the year to the Hawkeye Invitational on April 14-15th. 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 shot a 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, finished with a low three round 229 at the Buckeye Invitational.
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 two tournaments in the 2000-2001 season. Of the 11 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. 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 five of the seven tournaments this spring and have never finished lower than fifth place.
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 five Hoosiers to NCAA Competition. The five on the travel squad are Natalie Tucker, Inga Snyder, Tiffany Fisher, Danah Ford, 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 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 77.2 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 but one competition this season. Only twice has she not finished in the top ten in the individual scores. Tucker holds a current season average of 74.8. 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 ten competitions and finished second for the Hoosiers in four of the tournaments. Ford keeps improving her scores and is holding a 78.9 average.
Fishing for a Win
Junior Tiffany Fisher looks to help lead the team to victory this season. Fisher had her best finish at the Big Ten Tournament, shooting a 305 for a share of fifth place overall. Through fall and spring competition, she is maintaining a 78.0 average.
Driving Forces
Two freshman have been key to Indiana success this 2000-01 season.
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 had her best finish at the Buckeye Invitationall where she tied for 14th place. She is holding a 78.6 average.
Ambry Bishop is making 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.
