KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State women's golf team will swing back into action next week as they compete in the Butler Fall Invitational for the fifth straight season. This will be the third tournament of the Fall campaign for the Sycamores who finished second at the CSU Cougar Classic after a fifth place finish at the season opening IU Fall Kickoff.
“We have a much better, balanced team than we had a year ago,” Greg Towne, Indiana State women's golf coach said. “And we are getting some really good play from our fifth golfer in tournament competition. That is something we have been working hard on developing and the competition among the team members to garner that fifth spot has been intense which has just made the players better.”
The Sycamores will join Butler, Evansville, Green Bay, Eastern Illinois, Valparaiso, IUPUI, Illinois-Chicago, and Purdue in the two-day, 36-hole competition. Teams will play a practice round on Sunday with the first 18-hole round scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start on Monday. The final 18-hole round will be played on Tuesday also with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.
Senior McCall Christopher, fresh off a top 10 finish at the CSU Cougar Classic, will again lead the Sycamore effort. Joining her will be juniors Amanda Smith and Erinn Sutton, sophomore Andrea Frankiewicz, and freshmen Megan Berube and Marissa Uradomo.
The Sycamores finished fourth in the tournament a year ago with then sophomore Amanda Smith tying for fourth. Indiana State finished third in 2011, tied for 11th in 2010, and tied for fifth in 2009.
THE COURSE
Highland Golf & Country Club will host the Butler Fall Invitational for the fourth straight year. The course will play at 6,094 yards for the women with a par of 70.
THE WEATHER
Near perfect weather conditions should make for a good tournament with the only chance of rain coming on Sunday when the teams are scheduled for a practice round. Monday will see partly cloudy skies with a high near 66 degrees and winds from the west at nine mph. Sunny skies are forecasted for Tuesday with a high of 72 degrees and the wind shifting to the north-northwest at six mph.
THE LAST TIME AT THE BUTLER INVITATIONAL
Indiana State sophomore Amanda Smith recorded her first career top five finish as she tied for fourth at the 2012 Butler Invitational with a two-round total of 151. The Sycamores moved up a position in Tuesday's final round but still finished fourth with a 622 total.
Smith's first top five finish comes with the sophomore also matching her best 18 hole round with a 73 on Monday and her best 36-hole round with her 151 total. Smith entered the final round tied for third but shot a 78 in Tuesday's final round to drop back a position.
Indiana State was in fifth after Monday's opening round by carding a 309 and did improve one position after Tuesday's second round to finish fourth although the Sycamores were four shots worse overall with a 313 in the round.
Senior Emily Dixon continued to play well as she followed her 79 on Monday with a 76 today to finish at 155 and tied for 13th. Junior McCall Christopher was 77-80 in her two rounds to finish tied for 17th with a 157 total. Senior Christina Beyerl recovered from an 84 in the opening round to shoot 79 Tuesday and finish tied for 40th with a 163 total. Sophomore Gina Della Camera struggled Tuesday with an 87 after opening with an 80 Monday to finish tied for 44th with a 167 total.
SYCAMORES IN THE VALLEY RANKINGS
The Indiana State women's golf team currently ranks second in the team standings of the Missouri Valley Conference in the rankings released Oct. 3 by Golfstat. The Sycamores have an average score of 307.50 per round through two tournaments this Fall with a score versus par of 19.50 and a low round of 297. Bradley University tops the Valley with an average score of 303.33 with a score versus par of 15.33 and a low round of 294. Missouri State is currently third with an average round of 308.50 with a score versus par of 22.50 and a low round of 302.
Three Sycamores are in the top 10 of the individual standings which are ranked by score versus par. Junior Amanda Smith currently ranks fourth in the Valley with a score versus par of 4.50 through two tournaments, an average score of 76.50 and a low round of 71. Right behind her is freshman Marissa Uradomo who is fifth with a score versus par of 4.75, an average of 76.75 per round and a low round of 75. Senior McCall Christopher is tied for seventh with a score versus par of 5.00, an average score of 77.00 and a low round of 75.
Junior Erinn Sutton ranks 22nd in the Valley standings with a score versus par of 6.50, an average score of 78.50 and a low round of 74 through the first two tournaments of the Fall season. Freshman Megan Berube ranks 42nd with a score versus par of 9.00, an average score of 81.00 and a low round of 75, junior Gina Della Camera is 59th (12.00 score versus par, 84.00 average round, and a low round of 81), junior Andrea Frankiewicz is 71st (17.50 score versus par, average round of 89.50, and a low round of 84), and junior Margaret Harper is 77th (25.00 score versus par, 97.00 average score, and a low round of 91).
Bradley sophomore tops the Valley with a score versus par of 1.67, an average score of 73.67, and a low round of 70. Evansville freshman Kayla Katterhenry is second (3.20 score versus par, 75.20 average score, and a low round of 70) with Bradley junior Thea Hedemann third (3.33 score versus par, 75.33 average score, and a low round of 74).
