Home Sweet Home as Women’s Golf will Play NCAA Regionals at Forest Akers
4/24/2024 5:31:00 PM | Women's Golf
East Lansing, Mich. – To see their name pop on the television screen during the selection show for the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Regionals wasn't a surprise to members of Michigan State's women's golf team, even if they were part of the last of five regionals announced. The Spartans, after all, are serving as the host for the NCAA East Lansing Regional.
But it was still a thrill for Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll and her team when the East Lansing Regional, featuring No. 5 seed Michigan State, appear.
"It's always exciting when you see your name appear for an NCAA Regional," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "Obviously, it was a bit different since we're the host, but it's still a great feeling and a great sense of accomplishment.
"It's that confidence knowing that we did it last year, we can do it again this year. We have the same players on the team this year from last year (when MSU won the Palm Beach Regional in 2023), so they are better, they are more mature, they have grown over the last year."
The Spartans were an at-large selection and are the No. 5 seed among 12 teams in the East Lansing Regional, which will be hosted by Michigan State, the Lansing Sports Commission and the Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. The regional will be played at the Forest Akers West Course, from Monday, May 6 to Wednesday, May 8.
The 12 teams competing in the East Lansing Regional include, in order of seed, Southern California, Northwestern, Florida, Pepperdine, Michigan State, Kentucky, Denver, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Augusta, Illinois State and Oakland.
"The mindset, as it is with every other regional, is getting one of those five spots (to advance to the NCAA Championships)," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "Without question, they have the talent to win another regional. It's the exact same six players that we had last year. It's also comforting being in your own town and on your own golf course."
The field also includes six individual competitors – Isabel Sy (Illinois), Catie Craig (Western Kentucky), Lauren Beaudreau (Notre Dame), Carmen Griffiths and Hana Ryskova (Louisville) and Kate Petrova (Evansville).
Michigan State will be making its 24th NCAA Regional appearance since 1999, all under Slobodnik-Stoll.
Michigan State is ranked No. 30 in the country in the latest NCAA Division I rankings and is coming off a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships last weekend. The Spartans were one of eight schools from the Big Ten Conference to reach the NCAA Regionals.
Three of Slobodnik-Stoll's former players will be coaching teams or individuals at the East Lansing Regional. Florida's head coach is Emily (Bastel) Glaser, who graduated in 2002, played for the team from 1999-2002 and is a member of the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Oakland's head coach is Sarah Burnham, who graduated in 2018 and is one of the most decorated golfers in program history, being named an All-American three times and earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors twice. Notre Dame head coach Caroline Powers-Ellis, who will coach an individual at the regional, graduated from MSU in 2013, was a three-time honorable mention All-American and an All-Big Ten First Team selection.
Regional play will take place May 6-8 at six regional sites, with 396 participants and each site featuring 12 teams and six individuals.
The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to compete in the national championships to be played May 17-22 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
Championship play will be hosted by University of Texas at Austin, with the final three days of the championships televised live by the GOLF Channel.
But it was still a thrill for Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll and her team when the East Lansing Regional, featuring No. 5 seed Michigan State, appear.
"It's always exciting when you see your name appear for an NCAA Regional," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "Obviously, it was a bit different since we're the host, but it's still a great feeling and a great sense of accomplishment.
"It's that confidence knowing that we did it last year, we can do it again this year. We have the same players on the team this year from last year (when MSU won the Palm Beach Regional in 2023), so they are better, they are more mature, they have grown over the last year."
The Spartans were an at-large selection and are the No. 5 seed among 12 teams in the East Lansing Regional, which will be hosted by Michigan State, the Lansing Sports Commission and the Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. The regional will be played at the Forest Akers West Course, from Monday, May 6 to Wednesday, May 8.
The 12 teams competing in the East Lansing Regional include, in order of seed, Southern California, Northwestern, Florida, Pepperdine, Michigan State, Kentucky, Denver, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Augusta, Illinois State and Oakland.
"The mindset, as it is with every other regional, is getting one of those five spots (to advance to the NCAA Championships)," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "Without question, they have the talent to win another regional. It's the exact same six players that we had last year. It's also comforting being in your own town and on your own golf course."
The field also includes six individual competitors – Isabel Sy (Illinois), Catie Craig (Western Kentucky), Lauren Beaudreau (Notre Dame), Carmen Griffiths and Hana Ryskova (Louisville) and Kate Petrova (Evansville).
Michigan State will be making its 24th NCAA Regional appearance since 1999, all under Slobodnik-Stoll.
Michigan State is ranked No. 30 in the country in the latest NCAA Division I rankings and is coming off a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships last weekend. The Spartans were one of eight schools from the Big Ten Conference to reach the NCAA Regionals.
Three of Slobodnik-Stoll's former players will be coaching teams or individuals at the East Lansing Regional. Florida's head coach is Emily (Bastel) Glaser, who graduated in 2002, played for the team from 1999-2002 and is a member of the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Oakland's head coach is Sarah Burnham, who graduated in 2018 and is one of the most decorated golfers in program history, being named an All-American three times and earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors twice. Notre Dame head coach Caroline Powers-Ellis, who will coach an individual at the regional, graduated from MSU in 2013, was a three-time honorable mention All-American and an All-Big Ten First Team selection.
Regional play will take place May 6-8 at six regional sites, with 396 participants and each site featuring 12 teams and six individuals.
The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to compete in the national championships to be played May 17-22 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
Championship play will be hosted by University of Texas at Austin, with the final three days of the championships televised live by the GOLF Channel.
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