Women's Golf Earns Bid to NCAA East Regional
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 26, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State's women's golf team has received a bid to the NCAA East Regional, to be held May 6-8 at the The University Club in Columbia, S.C. It marks the Spartans' third appearance in the NCAA Championship and first since 1984.
Second-year head coach Stacy Slobodnik has taken a team which finished ninth at the Big Ten Championship last season to the top four in the Midwest district. The Spartans are one of 19 teams in the NCAA East Regional and one of 39 selected to the NCAAs overall (including 20 in the NCAA West Regional).
"We're thrilled to get a bid to the NCAAs," Slobodnik said. "It's something we have had our sights set on all year. We knew after our tremendous fall season that we were in good position. Reaching this goal is an extraordinary accomplishment and is a testament to the hard workers and talent golfers we have on our team."
Michigan State has been in the top five of all 10 tournaments it has entered this year going into this weekend's Big Ten Championship at Purdue. The Spartans captured the title in each of their first three tournaments, the first time since 1978 that MSU won three tournaments in a row.
The Spartans expected to hear their fate from the NCAA by 4 p.m. Monday, but the call didn't come until 5 p.m.
"We thought we would make it because we have had a strong year," said sophomore Kasey Gant (Fort Wayne, Ind.), the Spartans' top player with a 76.96 stroke average. "But as the day went on and we hadn't heard, we started to get concerned.
"When we finally heard the news, it was very exciting. Our focus now is on the Big Tens this weekend, but it's a good feeling we'll be playing another weekend after that."
Gant's stroke average leads the team, and she has been in the top 20 of all 10 tournaments this season. Freshman Emily Bastel (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) also boasts a stroke average under 80 (77.46) and has been in the top 20 of nine tournaments. Freshman Stacy Snider (80.1; Grand Rapids, Mich.) and seniors Ellen Bishop (80.95; New Castle, Ind.), Meggan Schumaker (81.17; Columbia City, Ind.) and Kellie Dennis (81.22; Jackson, Mich.) round out the Spartans' top six stroke averages. Five Michigan State players will play in the NCAA East Regional.
Michigan State is one of five Big Ten teams - along with Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue - to receive a bid to the NCAA East Regional, which will consist of 54 holes May 6-8. Eight teams and two individuals from the East regional will advance to the NCAA Finals May 19-22 at the Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ten teams and two individuals from the West regional will advance, as will one additional team from either the East or West.
The Spartans made their first NCAA Championship appearance in 1982, finishing in 18th, and advanced again in 1984, finishing 16th. Michigan State has not been to the NCAA Championship since the regional format was adopted. The Spartans did qualify an individual for the NCAA East Regional once before, Jenn Kangas in 1996.
Before leaving for the NCAA East Regional, the Spartans still have the Big Ten Championship this weekend, which will be held Friday, April 30, to Sunday, May 2, in West Lafayette, Ind. The 72-hole tournament features 36 holes on Friday and 18 each on Saturday and Sunday.
1999 NCAA EAST REGIONAL TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS SELECTED Midwest District Teams South District Teams Mid-Atlantic/East District Teams 1. Ohio State 1. Georgia 1. Duke 2. Purdue 2. Louisiana State 2. Tennessee 3. Indiana 3. Auburn 3. Wake Forest 4. MICHIGAN STATE 4. South Carolina 4. North Carolina 5. Furman 5. Campbell Midwest District Individuals 6. Mississippi 6. Memphis Emily Gilley, Northwestern 7. Florida State 7. Penn State 8. South Florida Mid-Atlantic/East District Individuals South District Individuals 1. Lotta Johnson, UNC-Greensboro 1. Pam Buff, Tulane 2. Mallory Crosland, Vanderbilt 2. Pia Josefsson, Mississippi St. 3. Line Berg, Central Florida 4. Sarah Johnston, Alabama