KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State women's golf team is back in action this weekend as they compete in the Bradley Invitational which will be competed at WeaverRidge Golf Course on Saturday and Sunday. The tournament will feature 36 holes played on Saturday with the first round beginning at 9:30 a.m. (ET) and a final 18 hole round on Sunday, also beginning at 9:30 a.m. (ET).
This is the second straight year that the Sycamores have competed in the tournament and will join two other Missouri Valley Conference teams, Bradley and Northern Iowa, along with South Carolina-Upstate, Illinois-Chicago, and Western Illinois for the competition. Northern Iowa won the tournament a year ago with Indiana State finishing third.
“We are returning to Weaver Ridge and Peoria for the experience of a tough golf course and the opportunity to compete against a Bradley team that nearly won the conference last year and will be one of the favorites this year,” Greg Towne, Indiana State golf coach, said. “Northern Iowa, who beat us in Evansville last fall, will also be participating and should give us a stiff challenge. Both programs are extremely well coached and should be well prepared.”
This is just the third tournament of the spring season for the Sycamores as they continue to fine tune their games for the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship which will be played at The Club at Porto Cima in Sunrise Beach, Mo., and hosted by Missouri State University. Towne has attempted to compete in tournaments on courses that challenge the players shot selection, mental attitude, and endurance. WeaverRidge is an ideal course for those challenges, especially if the wind is up.
“My biggest concern is just having energy for the 36 hole start on Saturday,” Towne said. “It is a fairly difficult walking course and the team will have to pace themselves and their emotions for the long day.”
Competing for Indiana State will be Christina Beyerl, McCall Christopher, Gina Della Camera, Emily Dixon, Reece Feducia, Amanda Smith, and Erinn Sutton. Six of the seven played the course a year ago with Smith leading the Sycamore effort by placing sixth with a 231 54-hole total. Beyerl and Christopher tied for 13th (238) with Dixon tying for 20th (241), Della Camera tying for 29th (245), and Sutton tying for 43rd (254).
The Sycamores are coming off a fourth place finish at the Southwest Missouri State University Spring Invitational which was played on the Legends course at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., during spring break. Indiana State opened the spring portion of their schedule by winning their second tournament of the season at the Birmingham Southern College Ann Rhoads Invitational which was played at Oxmoor Valley, part of the Robert Trent Jones Trail.
Indiana State played well in both tournaments despite not having a lot of course time due to the weather in the Wabash Valley area. That has changed in the past week and the team has taken advantage of the opportunities.
“We are trying to get in as much on course time as possible with the late spring,” Towne said. “We are fortunate to have courses that are in superb shape considering the circumstances.”
Towne is looking for one more tournament before the conference championship after the Big Blue Intercollegiate, scheduled for April 15-16 in Nashville, Tenn., was cancelled.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Indiana State finished third at the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational at WeaverRidge Golf Course a year ago with a three round total of 946 behind tournament champion Northern Iowa (908) and second place Southern Illinois (923). Amanda Smith led the Sycamore effort by placing sixth as she had rounds of 78, 75, and 78 for a 231 total. Three other Sycamores finished in the top 20 with Christina Beyerl and McCall Christopher tied for 13th with each posting a 238 total, and Emily Dixon tied for 20 h with a 241 total.
WEAVERRIDGE GOLF COURSE
What is perhaps Illinois' most spectacular Championship golf course is set in rolling hills and forested valleys, surrounded by the beautiful homes of WeaverRidge. This is a community unrivaled anywhere in Central Illinois, planned for gracious living and challenging golf for players of all ages and abilities. Masterfully created by Hurdzan-Fry to balance nature with design, WeaverRidge features multiple bent grass tees and fairways, fast and true greens, challenging and dramatic elevations and excellent practice facilities for those wishing to improve their game or just get warmed up before the round. The par-72 course measures 7,030 yards from the longest tees.
THE WEATHER
Friday's practice round may be the best weather of the weekend in Peoria with mostly sunny skies, a high of 57 degrees, and east winds at 8 mph. The weather will deteriorate somewhat after that although temperatures will still be moderate. Saturday's two rounds will have temperature climbing to 68 degrees after an overnight low of 46 with cloudy skies and brisk winds from the south-southwest at 24 mph. Sunday's final round will be less windy with forecasted winds from the north-northeast at 12 mph, cloudy skies, and a high of 63 degrees after an overnight low of just 51 degrees.
SYCAMORES IN THE VALLEY RANKINGS
The Indiana State women's golf team is sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference according to the Golfstat rankings released April 4 with the Sycamores averaging 315.53 per round and a score versus par of 29.13 after seven tournaments this season. Valley standings are based on score versus par with Bradley leading at 23.41 (310.68 per round average). Missouri State is second at 24.55 (312.00 per round), Southern Illinois third at 25.3 (312.61 per round), Illinois State fourth at 26.70 (314.70 per round) and Wichita State fifth at 28.8 (316.88 per round).
Bradley freshman Danielle Lemek leads the Valley with an average score of 74.82 (3.00 score versus par) with Illinois State senior Katie Jean second at 75.26 (3.26 score versus par), Missouri State senior Emma Clegg third at 76.36 (4.50 score versus par), Missouri State sophomore Megan Thompson fourth at 76.89 (5.00 score versus par), and Southern Illinois junior Cassie Rushing fifth at 77.30 (5.48 score versus par).
Sophomore Amanda Smith (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) moved up four spots to 11th in the individual standings with an average score of 78.46, a score versus par of 6.92 and a low round of 73. She has two top 10 finishes and four top 20 finishes this season in her six tournaments this season including fourth at the Butler Invitational.
Senior Emily Dixon (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) moved up three spots to 13th with an average score of 78.67 per round, a score versus par of 7.07 and a low round of 74. She has had two top five finishes this season and six top 20 finishes in her seven tournaments including second at the CSU Cougar Classic.
Junior McCall Christopher (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit North) moved up four spots to 22nd with an average score of 79.87, a scorer versus par of 8.27, and a low round of 77. She has had two top 10 finishes this season and five top 20 finishes in her seven tournaments including second at the BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational.
Senior Christina Beyerl (McCordsville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) moved up three spots to 29th with an average score of 80.27, a score versus par of 8.67, and a low round of 76. She has had one top 10 finish and three top 20 finishes this season including a second at the Charles Braun Junior Intercollegiate.
Sophomore Gina Della Camera (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) remained 43rd with an average score of 83.20, score versus par of 11.60 and a low round of 80. She has had two top 20 finishes this season including 17th at the BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational.
Sophomore Erinn Sutton (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) moved up to 46th with an average score of 84.57, a score versus par of 12.57, an a low round of 79.
Sophomore Andrea Frankiewicz (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) remains 50th with a scoring average of 85.11, a score versus par of 13.33 and a low round of 82.
Senior Reece Feducia (San Clemente, Calif./Fountain Valley/Long Beach State) has played in just two tournaments this year after missing the fall season due to illness. She has an 80.8 scoring average with a low round of 75. She has one top 10 finish so far this season as she placed third at the BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational.
