Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Set To Open Season At Badger Invitational
9/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 8, 2006
Badger Invitational Notes
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The Indiana University women's golf team will open up the 2006-07 campaign at the Badger Invitational, Sunday - Monday, Sept. 10-11, in Verona, Wis. The University of Wisconsin will host the event, held at University Ridge Golf Course.
SETTING THE SCENE
The event consists of three rounds, with 36 holes played on Sunday and the final 18 holes taking place on Monday. Along with Indiana and Wisconsin, nine other teams will comprise the field. Big Ten rival Minnesota joins the Hoosiers and the Badgers in the field, which will be rounded out by Arkansas-Little Rock, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Memphis, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
Tournament play begins Sunday with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. (EST) with the second round following at approximately 2 p.m. On Monday, the final round will commence at 9 a.m.
THREE HOOSIERS MAKE DEBUTS
All three of the newcomers to the Indiana program will make their IU debut in Verona, Wis., this weekend at the Badger Invitational. Freshmen Kellye Belcher (Bartlett, Tenn.), Laura Nochta (Cortland, Ohio) and Anita Gahir (Thornhill, Ontario) will participate in their first collegiate tournaments in Wisconsin.
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Complete tournament results will be made available on the web at IUHOOSIERS.com following each day of the event. There will also be live scoring of the tournament through www.golfstat.com. For more information, contact Jen Hildebrand at (812) 856-0553 or via email at jenhilde@indiana.edu.
COMING ON STRONG
Elaine Harris came on strong in her second season as a Hoosier, lowering her stroke average by three and a half strokes to 77.09, good for the second-best season average on the team. She turned in a top-10 finish twice on the season, with her second of the season being a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten's for the sophomore. Harris turned in rounds of 71, 70, 76 and 78 for a total of 295 and a share of sixth place.
QUALITY FINISHES
The Hoosiers had their highest tournament finish since a second-place showing at the 2004 Big Ten Championships when they finished fifth at both the Lady Northern Invitational on Sept. 24-25 and at the Lady Illini Invitational on April 14-15. At the Lady Northern, IU was fifth out of 12 teams with a score of 909 over three rounds. In the spring, Indiana's fifth-place finish at the Lady Illini Invitational was out of 16 teams and came following a score of 620 Harris was the low Hoosier at the Lady Northern with a three-round total of 223 and Johnson earned team medalist honors at the Lady Illini with a 36-hole mark of 147.
END OF THE SEASON AWARDS
The Indiana women's golf team officially put an end to the 2005-06 campaign with the end-of-the -year awards banquet on May 8.
As part of the ceremony, the coaching staff handed out the end of the season awards. Johnson garnered the Hoosier of the Year honor, given to the team's most valuable golfer. She led Indiana with a 74.38 per-round stroke average, a number which ranks third in the school annals, and captured two tournament victories and six top-10 finishes on the campaign. Johnson also won the Cream and Crimson Cup, awarded to the IU golfer who won a season-long tournament within the team.
Additionally, Harris received the Most Improved Hoosier award for the 2005-06 season. Harris improved her stroke average from 81.60 in 2004-05 to 77.09 in 2005-06, a number that ranked second on the squad. Harris capped her sophomore campaign with a career-best tournament at the Big Ten Championships, tying for sixth overall with a 72-hole 295. During the conference tournament, Harris shot career-low 18-hole (70), 36-hole (141), 54-hole (217) and 72-hole marks throughout the four-round event held at the Indiana University Golf Course.
Sophomore Gennifer Marrs received the Hoosier Heart Award, given to the Hoosier who shows the best team spirit, support and courage throughout the season. The senior class all received the Coaches Award, which is given annually to Hoosiers who best exemplify leadership, work ethic, passion and commitment.
FIRST TIMERS
Not only did the Hoosiers' trip to Puerto Rico in February mark the first tournament of the 2006 spring campaign for IU, but it was also the first time an Indiana women's golf team has travelled outside of the continental United States for competition. During the 2004-05 season, IU competed at the Kent Youel Invitational which took place in Hawai'i on Oct. 26-27, 2004 in Honolulu, but it had never travelled outside the U.S. to compete in a women's golf tournament.
THREE FRESHMEN MAKE HOOSIER DEBUTS
During the 2005-06 season, three freshmen made their debuts as members of the IU women's golf team. In the fall, Tiffany Hockensmith turned in rounds of 81-73-77 for a 231 total and a share of 31st place while participating as an individual in her Hoosier debut at the Lady Northern Invitational. She would participate in three more tournaments in her freshman season.
Amber Lindgren also made her IU debut at the Notre Dame Invitational in the fall, finishing in 59th place with a 36-hole total of 251 (83-88-80). She participated in 11 events throughout the season for the Hoosiers, wrapping up her freshman campaign with a stroke average of 81.00 and one top-10 finish.
The final true freshman to make her debut, this time in the spring, was Tara Boone. After battling injury in the fall, Boone tied for 75th in her first collegiate tournament, the Lady Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 24-26. She had a 246 (84-79-83) for the tournament. Participating in four more tournaments to close out the season, Boone saved her best performance for last, carding a 309 (74-77-75-83) to finish with a share of 28th position at the Big Ten Championships.
