Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Ranked No. 30 in Golfweek Preseason Poll
9/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 6, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - With the 2007-08 season about to being this weekend at the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, Mich., the Indiana women's golf team was recognized for its performance last year by coming in No. 30 in the Golfweek preseason poll.
Indiana is coming off its best season since 1997-98 when it won the Big Ten and finished 13th at the NCAA Championships. Last year's squad made its first NCAA Championship appearance under fourth-year head coach Clint Wallman and its first since the 1998 season.
All five NCAA Championship players from last year's team return, led by seniors Elaine Harris and Lauren Harling. Harris became the Hoosiers' first individual medalist since Shannon Johnson in 2006 when she captured the Mountain View Collegiate title in March. A mid-year transfer from NC State, Harling tied for 21st at the Big Ten Championships.
Back for another season is last year's outstanding freshman trio of Anita Gahir, Kellye Belcher and Laura Nochta. Gahir was Indiana's top finisher at both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships, while Belcher finished the season tops on the team in stroke average. Nochta recorded a pair of top-10 finishes on the season.
The season gets underway this weekend at the Mary Fossum Invitational, Sept. 8-9. Michigan State will play host to the event at the Forest Akers Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich.
Today, iuhoosers.com will conclude its look at the 2007-08 team with an overview of the newcomers, as well as the schedule.
Joining the returnees is a redshirt freshman and pair of true freshmen that will have the opportunity to work their way into the playing lineup.
Emily Johnson joined the team last spring and worked out with the squad while redshirting.
"Emily is one of the best players to ever come out of Indiana," Wallman said. "Anytime you can win two high school state championships, compete at the U.S. Girls Junior and U.S. Women's Amateur you have had a successful junior career. Emily has the game, motivation and desire to contend in any tournament she plays in."
Carly Brey is a four-year letterwinner out of Phoenix Country Day School in Arizona. She placed third at the 2007 Thunderbird Senior Classic to go along with a second-place finish at the Desert Spring Mashie.
"Carly is extremely excited to play golf at the collegiate level," Wallman said. "Her enthusiasm for the start of her college career has led her to work really hard this summer, and I think she will be able to compete for a travel spot. Once she gets into the routine of playing different courses, I expect to see good things from her."
Hailing from Kokomo, Ind., Lauren Geisecke helped lead the Northwestern Tigers to back-to-back Mid-Indiana Conference titles in 2006 and 2007. She was also a stand-out basketball player in high school.
"Lauren is a very talented natural athlete," Wallman said. "She has an extensive basketball background, so her lack of golf experience is something that is made up for by her athletic ability. She is a long driver and has great hands."
THE SCHEDULE
Head coach Clint Wallman isn't exaggerating when he calls the Big Ten one of the toughest conferences in the nation. Last year the league had six of its 11 teams ranked in the top 50, according to GolfStat. Three of those teams (No. 9 Purdue, No. 22 Michigan State, No. 43 Indiana) qualified for the NCAA Championships. Last year the Hoosiers placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships and have a legitimate shot at competing for the title in 2008.
"In the top half of the Big Ten, the difference between the teams is so small that any one of those squads can make a run at the title. Because of that you can't take anything for granted and have to pay attention to every detail."
After opening the season at the Mary Fossum Invitational at Michigan State (Sept. 8-9), the Hoosiers will get a chance to see where they stack up against the rest of the conference at the Lady Northern Invitational. Being played at Penn State's Blue Course, this tournament will serve as a fall preview of sorts for the Big Ten Championships, which will be contested at the course April 26-28.
"It is a great facility and it will be a good opportunity to take a look at the course," Wallman said. "Not a lot of the league schools play here on a regular basis, so it really levels the playing field."
The fall season continues at the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 29-30), before the team heads west to play in the inaugural Johnie Imes Invitational. Missouri will play host to the tournament at the new The Club at Old Hawthorne.
"This is a good tournament to play as the course may play host to a regional in the next year or two," Wallman said.
Play wraps up for the fall at the Kiawah Island Invitational in Kiawah Island, S.C. Last year the team finished a disappointing 11th at the tournament, and Wallman expects the team to improve upon that performance.
"This is a course we should play well on and we didn't feel good about how we performed," Wallman said. "I think everyone is looking forward to going back."
The team will shake off the rust with match play vs. Wisconsin on Feb. 8 in Phoenix, Ariz., before its first tournament of the spring, the Central District Invitational. Being played at the River Wilderness Golf Club in Parrish, Fla., the tournament features the top teams in the district and will give an early indication of where the team stands in the region.
Last season the UNLV Spring Invitational served as a springboard for the Hoosiers as they finished third with a school-record score of 864. They will hit the links again at the Anthem Country Club, March 10-12. "This is an event where the ladies have good memories and know they can shoot low numbers," Wallman said.
The team will preview the course being used for this year's NCAA Central Regional when they take part in the Betsy Rawls Invitational (March 17-18) at the University of Texas Golf Club.
Wrapping up a grueling stretch of play in March is the Mountain View Invitational at the Saddlebrook Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz. The team is looking forward to going back to this tournament, most notable Elaine Harris as it was the site of her first career victory last season.
"Any time you have success at a course, it becomes easier for you to play," Wallman said. "Golf is a sport where every weekend you are competing at a venue that is completely different from the last, so knowing a course gives it a good feel."
The Hoosiers wrap up the regular season by playing host to the IU Invitational at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel. The final tune-up before the Big Ten Championships has a 15-team field which includes, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Northwestern.
Indiana will then have two weeks to prepare for the 2008 Big Ten Championship, April 26-28, at Penn State's Blue Course. The NCAA Central Regional will be contested May 8-10 in Austin, Texas, with the NCAA Championships being held at New Mexico's UNM Championship Course (May 20-23).
"While our success last year may have been unexpected in some eyes, it didn't come as a surprise to us," Wallman said. "Any time you return a group of players that have experienced success, it breeds optimism.
"We have a unique opportunity with our schedule and our talented lineup to continue to build upon what was started three years ago. This group is capable of accomplishing whatever it sets its mind to."
Players Mentioned
