The University of Indianapolis women’s golf program notches top grade point average among Division II women’s golf programs with a 3.945 for the 2021-2022 season, according to UIndy Athletics. Along with finishing first in the Great Lakes Valley Conference under Coach Brent Nicoson for the 10th year in a row, they even came second in regionals and 10th in the nation.
Since Nicoson took over the women’s program going into the 2011 season, he has captured a GLVC Championship every year he’s been with the program. Along with eight regional championships and two national titles in the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons, this marks the fifth straight year that the women’s golf program has been named into the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) top 25 for team GPAs, according to UIndy Athletics.
Nicoson in his time with the women’s program has been able to consistently compete and win at a high level.
“Over the years the culture has kind of built itself, that’s just the expectations,” Nicoson said. “Each group that comes in doesn’t want to let the year before down.”
When asked how much credit he takes for the 3.945 GPA, Nicoson said he did not take credit.
“That’s the team and our academic advisor and their professors and everybody working together and communicating…,” Nicoson said. “They take great pride in what they’re doing. They work hard on and off the course. They know when it’s time to dig in academically, they know when it’s time to dig in on the golf course.”
Senior Catharina Graf has earned three Academic All-GLVC honors and three GLVC Brother Gaffney Distinguished Scholar Awards, according to UIndy Athletics. She has been in the program for four years.
“We’re all structured and organized and stay on top of things, and our time management is pretty good,” Graf said. “Our team culture is really to stay focused on what we need to do whether that’s things in practice or things in the classroom.”
Last season, the program also finished second regionally and 10th in the nation, according to UIndy Athletics. Additionally, they won the GLVC championship.
“The spring season didn’t go as we wanted it to. We did win the conference championship but we didn’t play very well at regionals…,” Nicoson said. “We were only two shots away from match play and a chance to play for another [championship],” says Nicoson.
With a new season, a fresh start with many familiar faces returning, Nicoson and Graf have both expressed that they are looking to win. In their first tournament, four golfers finished in the top 15 as they finished second in the UIndy Invitational, according to UIndy Athletics. Leading the pack is sophomore Anci Dy, a player Nicoson has praised in regards to her freshman campaign, exhibiting a 4.0 GPA and a WGCA All-America honorable mention, according to UIndy Athletics.
“We expect to win or be competitive at the conference championship, we expect to win or be competitive in the regional championship, we expect to be relevant at the national championship,” Nicoson said. “My goal every year is to be in the final group at nationals.”
