Women’s golf maintains 11th ranking in the nation
By JP Sinclair
Editorial Assistant
When a coach takes over the reins of a team, he looks to improve each year. That is exactly what head golf coach Ken Piepenbrink did two years ago, when the University of Indianapolis women’s golf team finished the 2006-07 season ranked 18th according to the Golf World Division II poll and last year when the ‘Hounds finished the 2007-08 season ranked 11th according to the same poll.
This year, they enter still ranked 11th and look to improve by the end of the season.
“We have the third lowest scoring average in the country in all Division II schools which should up us when the next coaches’ poll comes out,” Piepenbrink said.
Each year Piepenbrink has been here, the women team’s winning percentage has risen.
In 2004-05, the winning percentage was 37 percent and increased in the 2005-06 season 63 percent.
The 2006-07 season saw their winning percentage continue to grow to 69 percent, and last year during the 2007-08 campaign, it reached a second program high of 75 percent, second only to former UIndy head women’s golf coach Larry Bledsoe’s 2001-02 campaign which was 76 percent.
“Hopefully, we will look for improvement; the whole team is looking to improve from last year. We set our sights high and we look for more,” said junior Lyndsay McBride.
With only one senior on the six-player roster, Piepenbrink has a team that has the opportunity to not only finish this season with a higher ranking, but with five of six players returning, and only one graduating, senior Kristi Piepenbrink.
So far this season, UIndy has had several accomplishments. The team defeated all of the 15 team field to win the Ray Wright/Screaming Eagles Golf Classic at Cambridge Golf Course in Evansville, Ind. on Sept. 22.
With a team score of 604, the women’s golf team not only took the team title at the Ray Wright/Screaming Eagle Classic, but also set the program record for a two-day team score. Individually, Kristi Piepenbrink and McBride tied for second with identical scores of 145 strokes.
The Greyhounds’ team score surpassed the previous mark by seven strokes, set at the 2007 conference championship. The team score of 300 matched the single day record posted earlier this season, when they were at the Laker Classic on Sept. 2.
“We’re in very good shape right now. We’re breaking school records and it’s still early in the season as we move along,” Piepenbrink said. “We’re about a year behind on the work we put in, as golf skills continue to grow. This fall it’s paying off.”
At the Laker Classic hosted by Grand Valley State University, UIndy finished second in the 14 team field on Sept. 2. Both the UIndy women’s golf program’s 18-hole team and individual records were rewritten. UIndy combined to score an even 300 to break the previous team mark by two strokes and finish the 14-school event with a 608. Individually, Piepenbrink broke her own school record by firing a 67 at The Meadows, a par-72 course.
Aug. 8 through Aug. 31, UIndy played at the Ferris State Invitational. The ‘Hounds finished fourth in the 16 team field. The team had a score of 617, twenty-three strokes back behind tournament champion and nationally ranked No. seven Grand Valley State University. Kristi Piepenbrink led the ‘Hounds, shooting 77 and 76 to tie for seventh place, individually.
According to coach Piepenbrink, he is proud of the teams off field achievement, not just their on field achievement.
“I’m very proud of our academic accomplishment. Last season we were ranked eighth in all golf programs in all NCAA divisions and second in Division II. So these girls are very balanced academically and athletically,” coach Piepenbrink said.
This women’s team, despite not playing during the winter season is way ahead of schedule with the way they practiced over the summer. Women’s golf is making a name for themselves as they continue to shatter records.
