KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State women's golf team will conclude the 2012-2013 season next week as they compete in the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship which will be played at The Club at Porto Cima in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., Sunday through Tuesday. The championship is hosted by Missouri State University.
The spring weather has not been kind to the Sycamores as they were limited in the number of rounds played but Indiana State coach Greg Towne believes the team will be ready for the championship.
“Our strongest suit is that we are fairly strong from top to bottom,” Towne said. “If all the girls play at a reasonable level we will be right in there.”
The Sycamores will send a team with plenty of tournament experience including Christina Beyerl, Emily Dixon, Reece Feducia, McCall Christopher, and Amanda Smith. This will be the last MVC Championship for Beyerl, Dixon and Feducia who are the lone seniors on the squad. Christopher is a junior and Smith a sophomore.
“What we need to understand is that it will truly be a team effort to win this,” Towne said. “Most of the other teams have one or two girls that carry their respective teams. Our strengths will be in solid play top to bottom.”
Towne has tried to play courses this season that offered challenges similar to what the team will face at Porto Cima but the Jack Nicklaus designed course will be a strong test for all players.
“The difficulty of the course will definitely come into play,” Towne said. “The kids will have to deal with some situations that they have never experienced. How they process the information and react may decide the champion. I am looking forward to a fun week.”
Beyerl (McCordsville, Ind.) will be making her fourth appearance at the MVC Championship with her best finish so far coming her freshman year when she tied for 21st. She tied for 31st in the rain shortened 2011 event and posted her low 54-hole round in MVC play with a 236 a year ago when she tied for 22nd. She has three top 20 finishes this season including a second place finish at the Charles Braun Jr. Intercollegiate.
Dixon (Zionsville, Ind.) will also be making her fourth appearance at the MVC Championship with her best finish so far coming during her freshman campaign when she tied for 11th while recording her first collegiate ace in the second round of the 2010 Championship. Dixon tied for 31st at the rain shortened 2011 event and tied for 27th at the 2012 Championship. She has had six top 20 finishes this season including second at the CSU Cougar Classic and fourth at the BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational.
Feducia (San Clemente, Calif.) will be playing in her second MVC Championship after missing last year due to injury. The transfer from Long Beach State was named All-Missouri Valley Conference in 2011 as she tied for third at the rain shortened event. The senior did not return to action until this spring portion of the season but has posted two top 20 finishes including third at the BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational and fifth at the Bradley Spring Invitational.
Christopher (Lee's Summit, Mo.) will be playing in her third MVC Championship and led Indiana State at the 2012 Championship by tying for 13th. She placed 30th in the rain shortened championship in 2012. Christopher has had six top20 finishes this season including second at the BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational and ninth at the CSU Cougar Classic.
Smith (Canton, Ohio) will be playing in her second MVC Championship after placing 35th at the 2012 Championship. The sophomore has five top 20 finishes in seven tournaments this season including fourth at the Butler Invitational and ninth at the SMSU Spring Invitational.
This is the seventh MVC Championship for the Indiana State women's golf team with their best finish coming in 2010 when they were third. The team placed seventh the last two years.
MVC Championship Page:
http://www.mvc-sports.com/golf/news/2012-13/6609/2013-mvc-womens-golf-championship/
GolfStat Live Stats: http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/index.cfm?tournament_id=3681
SYCAMORES PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH
The Sycamores are picked to place sixth at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship according to a vote of the league coaches released this week. Indiana State received 50 points in the pre-championship poll.
Missouri State has been picked to win the championship with four first place votes and 94 points. They are expected to face competition from that title from Illinois State who was chosen second with five first place votes and 92 points. Bradley is third with 78 points followed by Southern Illinois with one first place vote and 70 points. Wichita State is fifth with 60 points. Behind Indiana State is Northern Iowa (44), Drake (26), Evansville (20), and Creighton (16).
The 54-hole tournament will be played at Porto Cima in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., with Missouri State University serving as the host school. The team champion advances to the NCAA Regionals. The 10 teams will have practice rounds Saturday, and the tournament begins Sunday at 10 a.m. (ET). Teams will play 18 holes each day (Sunday-Tuesday). Fans are invited to attend free of charge.
Last year, Missouri Sate's 910 edged Illinois State's 913 despite the Redbirds firing a tournament low 18 of 294 in the final round. Northern Iowa (916) and Southern Illinois (916) tied for third while Bradley was right behind (918). It marked the first time that five teams finished within eight strokes of the title. The 2012 Championship was played at the Terre Haute Country Club and hosted by Indiana State University.
THE CLUB AT PORTO CIMA
The Club at Porto Cima (133 Club House Drive Sunrise Beach, MO 65079 573-964-3034) is the host site for the 2013 MVC Women's Golf Championship. The Golf Club at Porto Cima is a Jack Nicklaus-designed facility that opened in 2000. Over the last 10 years, Porto Cima has hosted several Missouri Golf Association Championships and also the annual Missouri Intercollegiate. Recently, Golf Digest recognized The Club at Porto Cima as the one of the best private golf courses in America.
THE WEATHER
Saturday's practice round will see party cloudy skies with a high of 66 degrees and just a 20 percent chance of rain. Sunday's first round will see cloudy skies, a high of 66 degrees, and a 20 percent chance of rain but those chances increase over the next two days. Monday's forecast calls for isolated thunderstorms, a high of 68, and a 30 percent chance of rain with showers expected (50 percent chance) on the final day of the tournament (Tuesday) and a high of just 51 degrees.
