1998-99 Spartans Outlook
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
In 1997-98, first-year head womens golf coach Stacy Slobodnik saw the kind of impact a top-level freshman in Kasey Gant, combined with marked improvement from the veterans, could have on the Michigan State program.
That impact manifested itself in five top-five team finishes in 1997-98 and two individual tournament championships by Gant. Ten times a Michigan State golfer found herself among the top 10 individuals in tournaments, and the Spartans finished second among 15 teams in their own Mary Fossum Invitational.
With more elite talent joining the program this fall, the continued contributions from Gant and the leadership provided by a strong, three-member senior class, Slobodnik expects Michigan State to continue its climb towards Big Ten and national prominence.
"I think we are starting to build something with this team," Slobodnik says. "The addition of Kasey Gant was a big building block for us.
"At the Big Ten Championship we realized that we need six players who average in the 70s in order to be competitive in the Big Ten. That was an eye-opening experience. The team is going to have to come into its own. We need competitiveness, we need motivation and we need heart."
While Michigan State finished ninth at last years Big Ten Championship, the Spartan scores improved each week as the spring season progressed.
"All spring our scores just kept getting lower and lower," Slobodnik says. "We wished the season hadnt ended - we wish we could have gotten better."
With Gant, now a sophomore, and senior Meggan Schumaker, Slobodniks team had two golfers averaging in the 70s in 1997-98. Those two will be the leaders as Michigan State looks to improve in 1998-99.
"We would like to finish in the top five in the Big Ten," Slobodnik says. "Even though winning the Big Ten Championship is the ultimate goal, we have to be realistic. After finishing in the lower half, we will have to make small strides."
Of course, the addition of Gant and the improvement of Schumaker allowed Michigan State to make some significant strides a year ago. After combining for 14 top-20 finishes between them last year, those two will be looked to for low scores again this season.
"I think with Kasey and Meggan leading, the other players will follow," Slobodnik says. "Having elite players in your program can only help the rest of the team."
Just 71 shots into her collegiate career last fall, Gant had already made a statement on the college golf scene. She took the lead after the first round of the Mary Fossum Invitational with a round just one stroke off the MSU school record. Two rounds later, she had won the individual championship by six strokes and, with a 70 in the final round, had tied the school record for the best single round.
By the time Gants freshman season was complete, she had broken the single-record and established two more: best three-round tournament score and best four-round tournament score. She had the third-lowest stroke average in school history (77.5), won two tournaments and was just three strokes off the lead in the Big Ten Championship, finishing in a tie for seventh.
"Theres no question that Kasey, with the honors and recognition she earned, is going to have a chance to be a dominating force in the Big Ten and the nation."
Along with the arrival of Gant, Michigan State golf was blessed with the improvement of Schumaker last year, as she shaved four and a half strokes off of her average to 79.9. She led the Spartans in five tournaments and demonstrated her potential most clearly in a run of 14 consecutive rounds in the 70s, a stretch which ran from September through February.
"Meggan made a breakthough in her scoring average and really came into her game," Slobodnik says. "Now she realizes how good she can be."
Michigan States two other seniors, Ellen Bishop and Kellie Dennis, appear on the verge of breakthroughs similar to their classmate Schumaker made last year. Both averaged just over 80 a year ago, and Slobodnik will count on their experience and leadership - and lower scores - to help guide what will still be a young Spartan team.
"With Ellen and Kellie being seniors, their experience, work ethic and dedication should help them elevate their game," Slobodnik says. "They are very aware of what needs to be done. I expect them to come back in the fall ready to average in the 70s."
One more returning letterwinner, junior Tricia Gregory, will look to earn a more regular spot in the traveling lineup this fall. Gregory appeared in 17 of 35 rounds for Michigan State last season, averaging 84.5
Also expected to challenge for spots on the traveling squad are several players who have been in the program but not yet seen collegiate action. Sophomore Kristy Hartman was a two-time all-state selection in high school who would work her way in the mix.
Four redshirt freshmen - Abbey Beardslee, Kelly Brown, Andrea Fox and Kari Prochazka - will also vie for playing time. Brown may have the strongest credentials of the group, but will have to recover from a back injury which kept her out of action in 1997-98.
"(The redshirt freshmen) all had a solid year of hard work," Slobodnik says. "They really got a feel for what collegiate golf is like. At the same time they were still on the outside looking in, and I think that helped them mature."
Last year the Spartans saw what kind of an impact a top-level freshman could have on the program with the emeergence of Gant. Similar success may be tough to ask for, but Slobodnik knows that bringing in elite players is the only way to elevate the program to the level she expects.
"One thing we need to do to reach our goals is bring in one or two top-level players each year," Slobodnik says. "We saw the improvement Kasey brought us last year, and I think we could have similar success with this years class."
The leading candidates among the freshmen to earn regular spots in the lineup are Stacy Snider and Emily Bastel.Snider, ranked No. 29 in Golf Weeks national girls rankings last year, has been an impact player on the state and national level throughout high school. Bastel is a four-time all-state performer from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, who also brings a great deal of experience to the Spartan lineup.
Junior Kelly Curran, a transfer from Cincinnati, joins the Spartans and has the benefit of two years experience in Division I golf. Freshman Shellie Morton, an all-state performer from Detroit, will also have an opportunity to make the Spartan lineup.
Michigan States schedule, as always, features a balanced mix of national and regional competition. The Spartans host the annual Mary Fossum Invitational to open the season Sept. 12-13 at Forest Akers West Golf Course. The fall schedule also includes the Lady Northern at Purdue, a preview of the Big Ten Championship to be held in West Lafayette, Ind., April 30-May 2.
In addition, the Spartans will play in several other tournaments in the Midwest, as well as three in Florida and one each in Texas, South Carolina and Oklahoma.