Indiana University Athletics
Women's Golf Opens Play This Weekend
9/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 4, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana University women's golf team begins competition this weekend as it travels to East Lansing, Mich. for the Mary Fossum Invitational at the Forest Akers Golf Course, Sept. 8-9.
In preparation for the upcoming season, iuhoosiers.com will take a look at the 2007-08 squad. Today we begin with a general outlook and returning players.
Three years into his tenure as head coach of the Indiana women's golf program, there is no doubt that head coach Clint Wallman has the program headed in the right direction.
And the proof is on the course. Working with a team that included three freshmen and a transfer, Wallman had his group primed and ready to make noise on the national scene. And they did just that, making IU's first NCAA Championships appearance since 1998. Along the way they set numerous team and individual records, recorded a team and individual win, and finished in the top five of both the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Central Regional.
"We took away two important things from last year," Wallman said. "One is that we showed we are good enough to compete on the national level. The second is that we know what it takes to be successful when the opportunity arises.
"It was important for our growth to see how we measure up against the top programs in the nation in order to figure out what we need to improve upon."
OVERVIEW
For the first time since Wallman took over the program in the fall of 2004, he returns the heart of his playing lineup. Seniors Elaine Harris and Lauren Harling, junior Amber Lindgren, and sophomores Kellye Belcher, Anita Gahir and Laura Nochta will be back on the course after a solid 2006-07 season.
"This group knows they have the tools to be successful," Wallman said. "It isn't something they are looking to in the future -- they've experienced what it takes to win. The road to returning to the NCAA Championships began the day after last year's tournament and they are excited to continue what they started.
"Entering this year they have more confidence and less question marks about their ability to play on a national level. They went toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the country last year and came out better for it."
THE TEAM
Leading the returnees are seniors Lauren Harling and Elaine Harris. Harling transferred into the program midseason and had immediate impact on the playing lineup. Competing in all seven spring events, Harling finished fourth on the team in scoring average (77.40). She finished in the top 30 four times, including back-to-back ties for 21st at the Big Ten and NCAA Central Regional Championships.
"It is hard to really quantify what Lauren has brought to this team," Wallman said. "Her contributions go beyond scores and finishes. Coming in as an upperclassman with different experiences at another school gave her a good perspective.
"She has a renewed passion for the game. Lauren is a great ball striker and is a solid tee to green player. I see her getting better with each event she plays."
Wallman almost can't find the words to describe the transformation Harris has gone through in three years with the Hoosiers. Coming in alongside Wallman as a walk-on, she has steadily improved each season.
Her hard work showed last year when she picked up her first individual victory at the Mountain View Collegiate at the Saddlebrook Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz. Harris' three-round score of 209 was a new school record, and her second-round mark of 69 is tied for eighth. She was also the Hoosiers' top finisher at the NCAA Central Regional where she finished tied for seventh (72-75-69/216), earning All-Central Region honors.
"Last year was a great year for Elaine," Wallman said. "She is someone who can do anything she sets her mind to. There is no one aspect of her game that overshadows the other. It is her intangibles that allow her to play at a peak level."
Junior Amber Lindgren has gained valuable experience in her time at IU, competing in a total of 19 tournaments over her first two seasons. Her best finish of the season last year came at the UNLV Spring Invitational where she finished in a tie for 29th (74-72-75/221). She also placed 50th at the Big Ten Championships (82-82-82-81/327).
"Amber is my first recruited player and has improved remarkably over the last two seasons," Wallman said. "She is a more complete player and has a better grasp of how to play the game. I know she has worked hard over the summer, and I expect her to compete for a travel spot."
While the trio of Kellye Belcher, Anita Gahir and Laura Nochta may be sophomores on paper, experience-wise they are anything but unproven.
Last season Belcher and Nochta competed in all 12 tournaments, while Gahir competed in 11 after missing one due to injury. In their first collegiate competition, all three placed in the top 12 at the Badger Invitational as the Hoosiers took home the team title. The three were part of the five-person playing squad at the NCAA Central Regional and NCAA Championships.
"All three of these players are capable of winning any event they play," Wallman said. "They have both the skill and determination to reach that goal."
Belcher concluded her rookie campaign tops on the team in scoring average at 76.51. She posted a team-best seven top-25 finishes, including two in the top 10. After finishing sixth to open the year at the Badger Invitational, Belcher tied for second at the Lady Northern Invitational on Michigan State's Forest Akers West Golf Course.
"Kellye has remarkable skills and has learned a lot about how to manage the game and herself on the course," Wallman said. "She has worked on her short game over the course of the summer and I expect to see continued improvement."
Gahir was the most consistent player for the Hoosiers down the stretch last season. She led the team with a tie for 15th at the Big Ten Championships (75-76-79-80/310), tied for 21st at the NCAA Central Regional (70-71-84/225) and again led the team with her four-round total of 313 at the NCAA Championships (T-81st).
Gahir missed one tournament last year due to injury and has spent the summer rehabilitating shoulder and back ailments. Still, Wallman expects her to be a major contributor this fall.
"I would describe Anita as the definition of a player," Wallman said. "She is just a remarkable talent. It was no surprise that she was up there competing with the leaders at the Big Ten and NCAA Central Regional Championships."
Nochta is the third player in this group who made an immediate impact upon arriving in Bloomington. Nochta opened the season with a tie for 12th at the Badger Invitational (82-78-74/234), followed by her best finish of the season at the Wolverine Invitational where she finished in a tie for seventh (72-78-76/226). She finished in the top 50 in four of the last five tournaments of the season, highlighted by a tie for 33rd at the Big Ten Championships (78-80-81-79/318).
"Laura has such passion for the game and works so hard," Wallman said. "She has improved an incredible amount since her arrival last fall. Her experience at the NCAA Championships really gave her a shot of confidence and I expect her to come flying out of the gate this fall."
COMING THURSDAY: Newcomers and the 2007-08 schedule
Players Mentioned
