The University of Indianapolis’ women’s golf team recently received news—according to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association’s most recent poll, they are going into the spring season ranked 4th in the country. According to the GLVC sports website, UIndy’s team is the only one in the conference to be featured in the rankings. Head Coach Brent Nicoson said this high of a ranking no longer comes as a surprise to the team.
“I expect to be ranked number one every year,” Nicoson said, “That’s just a tribute to what the girls do. That’s just our expectation. We want to be the best team in the country every year.”
The girls team has this expectation after receiving a top ranking for the past 10 years, Nicoson said. He said, the WGCA rankings take into account statistics including margin of victory, tournament wins, head-to-head standings and stroke average combined. The team won their last three tournaments in the fall, which aided in the high recognition the team received going into the spring. Nicoson said a high ranking like this has little effect on the season itself; A team’s position will fluctuate depending on their results during the season. However, Nicoson pointed out that accolades like this look good to younger athletes who want to commit to a strong program.
Two-time All-America Honorable Mention junior Anci Dy said that although the team was expecting a good ranking, the top-five placement came as a pleasant surprise. She said the rankings are a good way for the team to see how they compare to other teams at the beginning of the season, and also as a reference point during competition season. The goal of the team remains the same: to continue to climb the ranks and remain one of the top programs.
“To be in the top five is a really great place for us to be right now,” Dy said. “It gives us good momentum going into the spring. We just hope we keep climbing up the ranks.”
Nicoson said that the men’s team holds themselves to the same high standard as the women’s team. Though they are not ranked as high, he said the men’s team has a lot of potential given their age. According to Nicoson, there are a lot of younger guys on the team who have just started their college careers and have a lot of room to grow. Nicoson said that almost, if not all, of the starters for the men’s team are freshmen or underclassmen.
“So we’re [men’s team] very, very young,” Nicoson said. “The men will be one sophomore and four freshmen or all five freshmen. They’re back in the top five in the region. They’re up to fourth and 28th in the country with that younger team.”
The culture of the women’s program this year is unique and a testament to the dedication of the golfers according to Nicoson. The women’s team might receive more accolades as the season progresses, but he is proud of the progress both teams have made and the success they have already experienced before their spring seasons start. Both of the teams have worked hard to be in the positions they are in, Nicoson said, and these rankings are proof of that work.
“This is probably one of the best all-around cultures I’ve had in my career,” Nicoson said. “Both men and women. They’ve worked their butts off, it’s time to go put it into play, and they’re ready to. And that’s what I love, they’re just ready to go play.”According to Nicoson, there should be a lot of excitement to come in the golf season with both team’s having potential to make it far into postseason play. The women’s and men’s golf team started the spring season Feb. 26 in Florida at the Lynn Invitational according to UIndy Athletics. The women’s team finished in eighth place, with Dy placing in the top 10 individually. According to UIndy Athletics, the team will take on the Findlay Spring Invitational in Richmond, Kentucky on March 18 and 19.
