McBride, golf team eye national championship
Kaley Belakovich | Staff Writer
After a chance at the National Championship last year, the University of Indianapolis women’s golf team has a lot to look forward to this season.
“This is the strongest team I’ve had in all the years I’ve been here,” said head coach Ken Piepenbrink.
He identifies another important element that every team should have beside skill.
“It’s about looking for the right fit for the team,” Piepenbrink said. He said the women know they need to work as a team, but still need to be individually competitive.
Piepenbrink seems to have found the right fit. The Lady ‘Hounds ranked No. 8 nationally in the Golf World/NGCA Coaches Poll, a preseason poll, which is four spots higher than the 2008-09.
Since the women’s team placed third at the National Championship last year, Piepenbrink has high hopes for this year’s team.
“To be honest, I think [the National Championship] is there for us to take,” he said.
The Lady ‘Hounds led the Missouri-St. Louis Midwest Shootout with a 16-stroke win on Sept. 26-27. During the second round of this two-day tournament, the team collectively scored a 300, tying the program’s previous record for the lowest 18-hole team score.
The Missouri-St. Louis Midwest Shootout also served as the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship Preview, because this event also hosted ten teams at Annbriar Golf Course in Waterloo, Ill., which will host the GLVC Championship in 2010.
Senior Lyndsay McBride, holder of the 2008-09 National Championship title, once again led the way to a team victory. With three first places and five top-five finishes already under her belt this year, McBride finished the tournament in fourth place with a score only five above par.
Freshman Megan Kiley was only one stroke behind McBride, placing fifth individually. The tournament marked Kiley’s third top-five finish in her college career. Senior Sarah Prascsak and freshman Lauren Vogt scored 155 each to tie for ninth place overall.
The Lady ‘Hounds picked up another win at the Screaming Eagle Classic in Evansville, Ind., on Sept. 20-21 with three top-ten scorers. McBride received first place individually, while sophomore Darin Pinnick finished with a career-high fourth place overall. Junior team captain Allison Tyler shot a 155, which helped her come in at sixth. Tyler also beat her own personal records for individual placement and 18-hole score during this tournament. Prascsak came close to the top ten with a score of 157, earning her the 11th spot out of 65 golfers. Kiley finished 18th with a 161, while senior Ashley Seaton tied for 13th with a 166, ensuring that all the Lady ‘Hounds finished in the top half of the competition.
