Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Head South For Lady Puerto Rico Classic
2/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Feb. 22, 2007
Lady Puerto Rico Classic Notes
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THIS WEEK'S SLATE
The Indiana University women's golf team will open the tournament portion of its spring schedule with a trip to the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, from Feb. 23-25. Live scoring for the event will be available HERE
The tournament, hosted by Purdue University, will feature a field of 15 teams for the three day event. The Hoosiers and the Boilermakers will be joined by fellow Big Ten members Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as Alabama, Auburn, Central Florida, Georgia, Iowa State, Kent State, NC State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, TCU and Texas Tech.
Eight of those programs are ranked in the top 35 in the nation, with No. 1 Georgia leading the way. Auburn is currently the No. 7 team in the country according to GolfStat.com, Oklahoma State is No. 13, Purdue is ranked 17th, Kent State comes in at No. 26, Alabama joins them at No. 31, South Carolina is at No. 32 and TCU rounds out the group, ranked as the 33rd best team in the country. NC State is just outside the group at No. 36 and the Hoosiers are next on the list with a national ranking of No. 59.
THE LINEUP
Name Year `06-'07 Average (Rounds)
Laura Nochta Fr. 76.33 (15)
Kellye Belcher Fr. 75.80 (15)
Elaine Harris Jr. 76.73 (15)
Anita Gahir Fr. 77.40 (15)
Lauren Harling Jr. N/A
Amber Lindgren * So. 85.17 (6)
*competing as an individual
ABOUT THE COURSE
The Coco Beach Golf and Country Club was designed by PGA Professional Tom Kite and will play as a par 72, 6,000-yard layout for the tournament. The course is the only 36-hole facility in Puerto Rico and features four distinct nines - The Lakes, The Ocean, The Mountain and The Palms.
PUERTO RICO, TAKE TWO
This weekend will mark the second consecutive year in which the Hoosiers have competed at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Last year, the Indiana women's golf team carded a 326 during the final round of the 2006 Lady Puerto Rico Classic and finished in 15th overall with a team score of 969 (322-321-326) during the three-day event.
The Hoosiers were led by senior Shannon Johnson, who tied for 31st overall with a 13-over par 228 (73-78-77). Sophomore Elaine Harris finished in a tie for 60th overall with a 240 (80-79-81). Freshman Tara Boone, coming off a career-low round of 79, finished in a tie for 75th overall with a 246 (84-79-83) in her first collegiate tournament. Freshman Amber Lindgren (85-85-85/255) and senior Katie Carlson (88-86-85/260) rounded out the Hoosiers.
Florida took home the team title with a total of 885 (299-292-294) while Amanda McCurdy of Arkansas captured individual medalist honors with a total of 214.
LAST TIME OUT
The Indiana University women's golf team opened the spring season by falling to Notre Dame, 31/2 - 21/2, in a dual match at the Legends at Orange Lake on Sunday, Feb. 11. Noriko Nakazaki of Notre Dame defeated freshman Laura Nochta, 2 and 1, in the opening match. In a close match, freshman Kellye Belcher topped Lisa Manau, 1 up, while junior Lauren Harling fell to Kristin Wetzel by the same score.
Sophomore Amber Lindgren defeated Julie Kim, 3 and 2, for IU's second point of the day. Junior Kendal Hake was defeated by Annie Brophy, 2 up, and senior Jenny Kim and Alejandra Diaz-Calderon halved the final match to close out the event.
MAKING THEIR MARK
The three players that joined the Hoosiers in the fall of 2006 have already made their mark in a variety of ways since arriving in Bloomington. The trio of freshmen Kellye Belcher, Laura Nochta and Anita Gahir competed in all five tournaments that IU traveled to. They wrapped up their first semester of competition as the No. 1 ranked freshman class in the country, according to GolfStat's Freshman Class Impact Rating, with a scoring average of 76.51 and a relative strength of 471.416.
Belcher currently leads the team with a scoring average of 75.80 per round, and Nochta follows her. Gahir is fourth on the team in that category. If they stay on the current pace, all three will shatter Lynn Dennison's freshman stroke average of 78.21, which has stood since the 1982-83 season.
TWO TO JOIN HOOSIER PROGRAM
Lauren Harling (Laurinburg, N.C./N.C. State) and Emily Johnson (Winona Lake, Ind./Warsaw) will join the Indiana women's golf program in the spring of 2007. Head coach Clint Wallman believes that these are two players that can have an immediate impact on the Hoosier lineup.
Harling will join the IU team after spending the past two years at North Carolina State University. She played in eight tournaments during her time with the Wolfpack, which was highlighted by tying for 35th at the NCAA East Regional Championship in 2005. Harling also tied for 31st at the Papa John's Collegiate to open the 2005-06 season, a tournament in which the Wolfpack captured the team title.
A native of Laurinburg, N.C., Harling placed 16th at the 2005 North Carolina Women's State Amateur after taking 15th the previous year. She was also a three-time All Mid-Southeastern Conference selection while at Scotland High School. A three-time team Most Valuable Player, Harling earned Charlotte Observer All-Observer Team honors twice during her career and was also a 2002 Nike All-American. During her junior career, Harling placed in the top 10 at numerous tournaments throughout both North Carolina and South Carolina.
Johnson, who is coming to Indiana from Warsaw High School in Winona Lake, Ind., brings a tremendous amount of national and state experience to the Hoosier lineup. She is a two-time Indiana state champion, having captured the title in 2003, during her freshman season, and this fall as a senior. With her title as a freshman, she became the first freshman in state history to capture the women's golf championship, and she is also one of just seven players to have ever repeated as state champion.
In addition to her state titles, Johnson has seen great success on the national scene during her junior career. She has placed in the top 10 in numerous national American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments. In addition to that experience, Johnson is also a two-time U.S. Junior Girl's qualifier in 2004 and 2006 and also qualified for the 2006 U.S. Women's Amateur. Although she did not advance past stroke play in 2004, she used that experience to her advantage in 2006, as tied for 40th during the stroke play portion to advance to match play, where she fell to Kristie Smith of Australia in the first round, 4 and 2. Competing against some of the talented amateurs in the world at the U.S. Women's Amateur, Johnson failed to qualify for match play after turning in a total of 160 (81-79) during stroke play.
HEADING EAST
The Indiana women's golf team finished in 11th place at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate. The Hoosiers carded a 916 (307-310-299) for their placement in their final tournament of the fall portion of the 2006-07 schedule on Oct. 30-31.
The Hoosiers were led by Anita Gahir who finished in a tie for 15th place with a tournament total of 225 (76-76-73). She was followed by Laura Nochta, who finished in a tie for 32nd position after carding a 228 (76-79-73) for the tournament. Kellye Belcher tied for 41st place with a total of 231 (77-76-78) while Elaine Harris shared 44th place after firing a 232 (78-79-75) in IU's final event of the season. The lineup was rounded out by Kendal Hake, who was 90th with a total of 246 (82-81-83).
VISITING THE WEST
The Indiana women's golf team finished in eighth place at the Price's "Give `Em Five Fund" New Mexico State Invitational on Oct. 16-18. The Hoosiers had a team total of 919 (307-304-305) in the tournament for their placement. New Mexico State University hosted the tournament, held at the New Mexico State University Golf Course, and it was Indiana's first-ever trip to the state for a tournament.
Leading the way for Indiana was Laura Nochta, who finished in a tie for 13th place with a total of 225 (76-75-74). Following her was Kellye Belcher, who tied for 23rd in the event after carding a 228 (75-78-75) for the tournament.
Both Elaine Harris and Anita Gahir finished in a tie for 35th position with a tournament total of 232. Harris carded rounds of 78-78-76 for her total, while Gahir had rounds of 78-74-80 to reach that mark. Rounding out the Hoosier lineup was Tara Boone, who tied for 64th after firing a 239 (80-77-82).
BATTLING THE ELEMENTS AT WOLVERINE INVITATIONAL
The Indiana University women's golf team finished in a tie for fourth at the Wolverine Invitational on Sept. 30-Oct. 1, held at the University of Michigan Golf Course. The Hoosiers carded a 919 (308-304-307) for their placement in the tournament field. The second round was also completed on Sunday after inclement weather in the area made finishing the round on Saturday impossible.
Leading the way for Indiana was Laura Nochta, who tied for seventh at 226 (72-78-76). She was followed by Elaine Harris, who shared 15th place with a total of 228 (77-73-78) and Kellye Belcher, who tied for 20th with a 54-hole total of 230 (80-76-74). Anita Gahir shared 30th position after carding a 235 (79-77-79) for the tournament and Tara Boone rounded out the Indiana lineup, sharing 50th with a total of 245 (86-78-81).
WRAPPING UP THE LADY NORTHERN
Kellye Belcher tied for second in her second collegiate event as the Indiana University women's golf team finished in seventh place at the Lady Northern Invitational. The Hoosiers finished with a team total of 920 (310-303-307) for their placement.
Belcher wrapped up the tournament in a tie for second with a total of 219 (74-71-74).
Following Belcher was Elaine Harris, who tied for 28th place with a total of 233 (78-80-75). She was joined in that position by Laura Nochta (78-76-79). Anita Gahir shared 37th position with a 54-hole total of 235 (80-76-79), and sophomore Amber Lindgren tied for 70th place with a total of 253 (86-85-82). Kendal Hake carded a total of 255 (83-89-83) to tie for 74th.
SUCCESS IN FAIR VERONA
With a lineup featuring three freshmen, one sophomore and a junior, the Indiana University women's golf team captured the team title at the Badger Invitational in Verona, Wis. The Hoosiers carded a total of 922 (313-307-302) while battling through inclement conditions over the 54-hole tournament.
Individually, Elaine Harris turned in the best finish of her career with a third-place finish. Her 10-over-par total of 226 (74-77-75) was just one stroke out of a share of medalist honors. Joining Harris in the top 10 were two of the IU newcomers. Kellye Belcher tied for sixth in her first collegiate tournament, turning in rounds of 77-76-76 for a total of 229.
She was followed by Laura Nochta, who shared 10th place with a total of 233 (80-76-77). Narrowly missing out on a top-10 finish was another newcomer, as Anita Gahir tied for 12th, one stroke behind Nochta at 234 (82-78-74) for the 54-hole tournament. Rounding out the Hoosier lineup was Amber Lindgren. The Kokomo, Ind., native finished in a tie for 61st position with a tournament total of 258 (89-88-81).
BELCHER NAMED ROLEX ALL-AMERICAN
Indiana University freshman Kellye Belcher was named a Rolex Junior All-American by the America Junior Golf Association (AJGA) on Oct. 26. The Bartlett, Tenn., native earned honorable mention honors for the second consecutive year.
En route to earning the honor, Belcher won two AJGA events in the summer of 2006 and finished the season ranked No. 48 in the Polo Golf Rankings. She was the medalist at the Jerry Pate/Andrews Institute Southern Junior in Pensacola, Fla., and at the True Temper/David Gossett Junior Championship in Memphis, Tenn.
Introduced by the AJGA in 1978, the Rolex Junior All-America Teams annually recognize those players who have established themselves as the world's premier junior golfers. The teams are comprised of 96 junior golfers, ages 13-19.
WINNING WAYS
With IU's win at the Badger Invitational, it marked the 11th time in program history that the Hoosiers opened the season with a tournament championship. The last time that it occurred was in 2002 at the Wolverine Invitational. The win was also IU's first since the Baylor-Tapatio Springs in 2004 and the first under head coach Clint Wallman.
