Michigan State University Athletics
Women's Golf Earns Bid to NCAA East Regional
4/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 25, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's golf team, fresh off winning the Big Ten Championship over the weekend, has earned a berth in the NCAA East Regional as a No. 6 seed, the NCAA Committee announced Monday night. The Spartans will head to the Legends Course at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., May 5-7 for regional action.
This marks the 13th consecutive year MSU has made postseason play; the Spartans were automatic qualifiers this season after claiming the Big Ten Championship.
"I just felt great about whatever region we were placed in because we're riding high right now," said 14th-year MSU head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll. "Everyone is believing in themselves, their game, and the team. It's great to go to LPGA International because we're going to be warm, and we also know the course after playing at the NCAA Championships there in 2007."
The NCAA Women's Golf Championships are divided into three regional sites and conclude with the finals May 17-20 at the Traditions Club Course in Bryan, Texas. Each regional site hosts 24 teams and six individuals, with the top eight teams and two individuals in each region advancing to the finals. The tournament format is 54 holes over three days.
The complete field for the NCAA East Regional (in order of seeds) is as follows: Alabama, Purdue, California, Arizona State, Auburn, Michigan State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Florida, Florida State, Colorado, TCU, Louisville, Mississippi, Texas Tech, Florida International, Coastal Carolina, Augusta State, Yale, Kentucky, Stetson, UNC-Wilmington, Fairleigh-Dickinson and Alabama State.
"The field is challenging, as every regional field is - that's why we create the schedule that we do," said Slobodnik-Stoll, as MSU's schedule was ranked the 12th-toughest in the nation by Golfweek. "Our players know that we're one of those teams that can play with anybody. We're going to be paired up with Auburn and Arizona State in the first round, and it's going to be a challenge, just as the Big Ten Championship was."
The Central Florida Sports Commission will serve as the host of the NCAA East Regional. For more information on par 72, 6,271-yard Legends Course at LPGA International, please click visit www.lpgainternational.com.
MSU enters the NCAA East Regional after winning the program's ninth Big Ten title over the weekend at Lake Shore Country Club in Glencoe, Ill. The Spartans beat fourth-ranked and three-time defending champion Purdue by five strokes, and MSU's total of 1180 was the best 72-hole score ever for the program at the Big Ten Championships. It also marked the third Big Ten title during Slobodnik-Stoll's 14-year career at MSU.
Michigan State is listed at No. 18 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. The Spartans have won back-to-back tournaments as they also won the Lady Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, on April 17. Slobodnik-Stoll has won consecutive tournaments on five occasions throughout her career, with the last back-to-back tournament victories arriving in 2007-08 (Central District Invitational, Texas A&M "Mo" Morial). She has won 28 tournaments total since taking over the program in 1997.
The Spartans are led by sophomore Caroline Powers, who leads the team with a 73.84 scoring average and was the top finisher on the team at the Big Ten Championships by taking fourth. She is ranked 30th by Golfweek and has placed in the top 10 in four of her tournaments this season, including a first-place finish at the Lady Buckeye Invitational on April 17. Her 73.84 average is on pace to set an MSU single-season record, currently held by Laura Kueny, who averaged 73.85 last season.
Senior Aimee Neff is second on the team with a 75.19 average and is also ranked among the top 75 players in the nation at No. 71 by Golfweek.
"Aimee is going to go to the LPGA Qualifying school there in Daytona Beach after graduation, so that's going to be a bonus for her to get those rounds on that golf course," Slobodnik-Stoll said.
Junior Lindsey Solberg was named to the All-Big Ten Championships team following her fifth-place showing at the event. Solberg led the team with six birdies in the final round, including three on the final four holes to help lead the Spartans past Purdue.
True freshmen Allyssa Ferrell and Christine Meier, along with senior Natalie Brehm, were also in the starting lineup for MSU at the Big Ten Championships.
Michigan State's 13 straight NCAA appearances is the third-longest streak in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State (17) and Purdue (14). The Spartans have twice placed third at the NCAA Regionals, in 2001 and 2004.
MSU will be looking to make its 10th appearance at the NCAA Championships with a top-eight finish at the NCAA East Regional. The Spartans have participated in the NCAA Championships seven out of the last 11 years, with the last appearance arriving in 2009.
Live scoring of the NCAA East Regional will be available at www.golfstat.com. In round one on Thursday, May 5, Michigan State will be paired with Auburn and Arizona State.
