Women's Golf Heads To NCAA Championships
5/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 17, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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Site: Opelika, AlabamaDates: May 18-21, 2004Tee Times: Starting at 8 a.m CDT on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and FridayHost: Auburn UniversityCourse: Grand National Lake Course (par 72, 6,215 yards)Tournament Format: 72 holes total (18 holes on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday)Tournament Field (24 Teams): No. 9 Arizona, No. 28 Arizona State, No. 33 Baylor,No. 3 California, No. 1 Duke, No. 29 Florida State, No. 24 Furman, No. 8 Georgia, No. 19Michigan State, No. 6 New Mexico, No. 17 North Carolina, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 10 OklahomaState, No. 38 Purdue, No. 7 Southern Cal, No. 21 Tennessee, No. 32 Texas A&M, No. 2 UCLA,No. 14 UNLV, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 13 Wake Forest, No. 18 Stanford, No. 12 Washingtonand No. 56 Washington State. Individuals (6): Adrienne Gautreaux (South Carolina),Adrienne Millican (East Carolina), Laura Cross (SMU), Samantha Richdale (Illinois State),Elizabeth Allen (Cal State Northridge) and Ashley Gomes (San Jose State).(Golfweek/Sagarin rankings as of May 10).Live Scoring: log onto msuspartans.com
The Michigan State women's golf team heads to the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in the last five years under head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll. The Spartans made appearances in the national tournament in 2000 (tied for 20th), 2001 (tied for 12th) and 2002 (19th). State is coming off a third-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Central Regional Championships, which equals the team's best-ever showing in regional action.
LAST TIME OUT - MSU recorded a third-place showing at the 2004 NCAA Central Regional Championships with a 54-hole total of 906 (302-303-301) at the University Golf Course in Normal, Ill. MSU's third-place finish equals the team's best effort in regional play, also set in 2001.
Allison Fouch was MSU's top finisher as she posted her fifth top-five showing of the season, tying for fourth with a 221 (73-74-74).
Sarah Martin finished tied for 17th with a 229 (76-77-77) for her 10th top-20 finish of the year. Meanwhile, Heather Rose placed tied for 27th with a 231 (82-73-76); Dayna Burleigh finished tied for 31st with a 232 (75-80-77); and Ann Marie Kersten rounds out the Spartan line-up as she is tied for 49th with a 236 (78-84-74).
SEASON SPOTLIGHT - The Spartans have appeared in 12 events this season, posting 12 top-10 finishes including back-to-back team titles at the Badger Invitational (Sept. 12-14) and the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 20-21). Since the start of the spring season, State has posted top-five finishes in seven of its eight events, including a win in the Spartan/Wildcat Cup (Feb. 14-15); the team title at the Boilermaker Invitational (April 17-18); second-place finishes at the Central District Classic (Feb. 23-24) and Indiana Invitational (April 3-4); and third-place finishes at the Lady Gator Invitational (March 7-9); Big Ten Championships (April 23-25) and NCAA Central Regional Championships (May 6-8).
IN THE RANKINGS - Through 12 events, MSU is ranked 19th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.
Individually, senior Allison Fouch is ranked 41st in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. (Rankings as of May 10, 2004)
TOURNAMENT TITLES ABOUND - State has three tournament titles (Badger, Mary Fossum and Boilermaker Invitationals) to its credit this season. It is the most tournament titles for the Spartans since MSU also won three (Pine Needles, Central District and USF Waterlefe) in 2001-02. It also is the most titles since State won four (Pine Needles, Peggy Kirk, Indiana and Big Ten Championship) in 2000-01.
The school record for tournament titles in a season is eight, set three times (1974-74, 1975-76 and 1976-77).
EXPERIENCE COUNTS, DOESN'T IT? - Two of MSU's five golfers (Allison Fouch and Sarah Martin) have experience in NCAA championship play. The 2004 season marks the third trek to the championship round for Fouch and Martin.
Senior Ann Marie Kersten, sophomore Dayna Burleigh and true freshman Heather Rose are making their first-ever trips to the NCAA championships.
LOOKING AT THE STATISTICS - Senior Allison Fouch currently paces the Spartans with a 75.27 stroke average, which ranks third on MSU's single-season average list. For her career, Fouch ranks second all-time with a 76.60 stroke average.
Senior Sarah Martin is second with a 76.06 stroke average, which also ranks seventh on MSU's single-season list. Martin holds a 78.55 career stroke average, the ninth best in MSU history.
Rounding out the Spartan line-up is sophomore Dayna Burleigh, who carries a 76.62 stroke average, the 12th lowest single-season average; senior Ann Marie Kersten, who holds a 77.40 stroke average, the 15th lowest single-season average; and freshman Heather Rose with a 77.67 stroke average.
2004 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS - Despite steady rain on the final day of play at the 2004 Big Ten Championships, Michigan State shot the second-best score of the day with a 299 to place third. State finished with a 72-hole total of 1,227 (304-317-307-299) at the par 72, 6,201-yard OSU Scarlet Golf Course on the Ohio State campus.
Four Spartans finished in the top 20 and were led by seniors Sarah Martin and Allison Fouch, who finished tied for eighth and tied for 11th, respectively. Martin finished with a 305 (74-77-80-74), which ranks tied for 14th on MSU's low 72-hole tournament score. Meanwhile, Fouch shot a team-best 73 on the final day and finished two strokes behind Martin with a 307 (76-81-77-73). Fouch's 307 marks the 17th-best low 72-hole tournament score in State history.
BIG TEN KUDOS - Senior Allison Fouch earned All-Big Ten honors for a third-straight year in 2004, garnering first-team distinction. Fouch earned All-Big Ten honors in 2002 and was an All-Big Ten Second-Team honoree in 2003. She becomes the first Spartan since Emily Bastel (1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002) to earn All-Big Ten honors for three straight years.
Fouch also becomes just the fourth Spartan to earn All-Big Ten honors at least three times in her career, joining Bastel, Kasey Gant (1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001) and Lisa Marino (1985, 1986 and 1987). Fouch placed tied for 11th at this year's championship.
Seniors Sarah Martin and Ann Marie Kersten picked up All-Big Ten Second-Team accolades for the first time in their careers. Martin, who finished tied for eighth at the 2004 Big Ten Championships with a 305, leads MSU with 10 top-20 finishes this season, including six in the top 10. Kersten, who finished tied for 27th at the conference tournament, has five top-20 showings this season, including four in the top 10.
SPARTAN NOTEBOOK -
* Senior Allison Fouch is tied for sixth in the MSU record books with two tournament titles to her credit this season. Fouch took medalist honors at the season-opening Badger Invitational and at the Mary Fossum Invitational the following weekend. Eight other players are tied with Fouch with two tournament titles in a season.
The school record for tournament titles in a season is four, set by Lisa Marino in 1985-86.
* Senior Sarah Martin paces MSU with 10 top-20 finishes this year, including six in the top 10. Senior Allison Fouch is second with nine top-20 finishes, while sophomore Dayna Burleigh is third with six top-20 showings.
* Senior Allison Fouch became just the fourth Spartan to earn All-Big Ten at least three times in her career, joining Emily Bastel (1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002), Kasey Gant (1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001) and Lisa Marino (1985, 1986 and 1987). Fouch, who earned All-Big Ten First-Team accolades in 2004, received All-Big Ten honors in 2002 and was an All-Big Ten Second-Team honoree in 2003.
* Freshman Heather Rose ranks sixth on MSU's career average chart with a 77.67 stroke average.
THE HONORS SYSTEM - A pair of MSU golfers have received Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors this season.
Allison Fouch earned Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors on March 17 after finishing fourth at the Lady Gator Invitational. She fired an opening-round 69 in the Lady Gator Invitational, the third-lowest 18-hole round in school history. She tallied 219 strokes over the three rounds, helping the Spartans to a third-place team showing.
Sarah Martin earned Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors Feb. 19, after leading the Spartans to a 14.5- 3.5 dual-match victory at the Spartan/Wildcat Cup. She finished the weekend with a 235 (74-78-73). She shot a tournament-best 73 in Sunday's seeded competition as she beat her partner, Northwestern's Ina Kim by 11 strokes.
Players Mentioned
