Bowling Green State University Athletics
2010 Fall Season Rapidly Approaching For Women's Golf
August 27, 2010 | Women's Golf
In less than three weeks, the Bowling Green State University women's golf team will travel to Texas to open the 2010-11 season. When they do, the Falcons will open with a mix of youth and experience that will attempt to build upon the successes of last season.
Head coach Stephanie Young returns for her fifth full season at the Falcons' helm. As the leader of the women's golf program, Young has led the team to three tournament championships and four runner-up finishes. She has also guided her athletes to four individual medalist finishes. Two of those runner-up team finishes came last season in the Youngstown State Invitational and the University of Dayton Invitational. Young's 2009 season also featured an individual medalist performance when freshman Susannah Grunden won the Zippy Invitational. Young is excited about the upcoming season's prospects and said, "This is a more experienced and dynamic team that has high expectations for themselves both on and off the golf course, which will require both discipline and committment to excellence in every area."
In 2010-11, the Falcons bring back most players from last year's squad. In fact, Hannah Lambert is the only Falcon who saw tournament time last year that will not return to the team this season. Lambert leaves the team after a successful senior campaign that saw her record her career-low per-round average. Her season average of 84.42 was third-best on the 2009-10 team and represented nearly a three-shot improvement over her average as a junior. Lambert recorded three top-20 finishes, including a season-best third place finish at the Youngstown State Invitational.
Eight athletes will comprise the Falcon team in 2010. Of the six returning players, two are seniors, one is a junior and three are sophomores. When you include BGSU's two incoming freshmen, this means that five of this year's eight-member team are under-classmen.
Let's take a look at the 2010-11 Falcons:
SENIORS
Twin sisters Lauren and Marisa Glew will serve as this year's senior class and team co-captains.
In 2009-10, Lauren posted a per-round average of 82.75, BGSU's second-best average of the season. Lauren's average has been under 83 in each of her three seasons as a Falcon, and she has also posted top-ten finishes each year. For her career, she has finished in the top-five of the tournament twice and in the top ten on five different occasions, including a ninth-place finish in last year's Dayton Invitational. Lauren's low round of the season came at the Zippy Invitational, where she posted a 76 in the second round. Overall, Lauren posted a sub-80 score in six of her 24 rounds. During her time at BGSU, Lauren earned a spot on the NGCA All-Scholar team twice and owned the school record for a low round by a freshman until last season.
Marisa enters her final Falcon campaign after carding a season average of 86.05 in 22 rounds in 2009-10. She earned her first top-ten finish since her freshman season when she placed sixth at the Youngstown State Invitational with an 83. The week prior, Marisa posted her low round of the season with an 82 at the rain-shortened Great Smokies Intercollegiate. During her career, Marisa earned a spot on the NGCA All-Scholar team and a career-best third-place tournament finish as a freshman. As a sophomore, she had a highlight sought by all golfers as she shot a hole-in-one at the Grand Prairie Classic.
About the Glew sisters, Coach Young says, "Successful teams require extraordinary leaders, and I have the utmost confidence in our leadership this season. Both Lauren and Marisa have contributed to building the foundation for this golf team. The twins effectively communicate and model what it takes to win and how to go after everything we do in a first-class manner."
Young continues, "On the golf course, I am expecting both Lauren and Marisa to have their best seasons yet. Lauren has been a starter on this team since her freshman year. She is a veteran for us in every area. It's understood that one of her many roles is for her score to count every time. With her experience comes the ability to battle and overcome the uncontrollables during competition and still walk away with a low score. Marisa has a fluid swing and is the type of player that doesn't make many mistakes. She is very steady. Marisa's game responds well to the pressure situation -- she's the one you want over the putt that needs to go down."
JUNIORS
Returning for her third season as a Falcon will be Paula DiFrancesco. Paula saw relatively limited action during the 2009-10 season, as she competed in ten rounds over a span of four tournaments. During those ten rounds, Paula recorded an average of 86.40 and had a season-low score of 79, which she recorded twice -- at the Duramed MAC Preview and the following week at the Dayton Invitational. In her freshman campaign, DiFrancesco had two rounds of 78 and a season average of 85.96.
Coach Young commented, "We have seen steady progress in (DiFrancesco's) development which can be attributed to her dedication to practice and the experiences taken from her rounds of competition. I am expecting to see a new level of play from Paula -- one that includes increased confidence and consistency."
SOPHOMORES
The Falcons return last year's class of three freshmen -- a class that included arguably the most successful freshman in school history.
Susannah (Susy) Grunden made an immediate impact on the program in her first season as a Falcon. In her very first tournament, the rain-shortened Great Smokies Intercollegiate, Grunden tied Lauren Glew's record for a low round by a freshman (74). Grunden recorded two more sub-80 rounds in the next two tournaments before taking the Zippy Invitational by storm. At the Zippy Invite, Grunden claimed medalist honors and set a new BGSU record for a low round by a freshman, as she shot a 73 in the second round. That round was part of a streak of seven consecutive rounds in which Grunden shot under 80. Grunden equaled her low round of 73 at the EKU Lady Colonel Classic, then ended the year with four more rounds in a row under 80, including all three rounds of the MAC Championships.
Grunden finished 15th at the MAC Championships and closed with a third-round 76. In that round, she birdied the last two holes -- and the birdie on her final hole of the season gave Grunden the BGSU record for season scoring average. Grunden now owns that record -- by four one-thousandths of a point! Her average of 78.538 surpassed that of Jenny Schnipke, who recorded an average of 78.542 for the Falcons during the 2003-04 season.
About Grunden, Coach Young said, "Susy realizes the need to maintain her focus and committment to her goals in order to help lead our team on the course. She enters competition with an aggressive mindset of attacking the golf course, which has been a main driver for her success. As her course management and short game sharpens, we look for her scores to lower."
Joining Grunden in the returning sophomore class are Jen Blanchard and Amy Ruthenberg.
Blanchard played in one tournament each during the fall and spring seasons. In October's All-Ohio Invitational, Blanchard posted a 13-shot improvement from the first to the second rounds and recorded a top-20 finish in her debut tournament. She also competed in April's Falcon Invitational.
Like Blanchard, Ruthenberg debuted at the All-Ohio Invite and recorded a strong finish. After beginning with an 86, Ruthenberg carded a second-round 83 and finished in a tie for tenth place. In the spring season, Ruthenberg competed in each of the team's final three tournaments. At the Lady Colonel Classic and Falcon Invite, four of Ruthenberg's five rounds were 85 or lower. Then, at the MAC Championships, she recorded her low round of the year with a second-round 81. Ultimately, Ruthenberg finished the season with an average of 85.10, fourth best on the team.
"Jen Blanchard competed in many events over the summer -- that dedication towards working on her game combined with lessons learned from last season should point towards second year success," said Young. "Amy Ruthenberg led our team in the classroom all season as a freshman with a 4.0 GPA, and she really came on strong with her game in the April stretch of our spring schedule. As she continues to become more comfortable with her game in competition situations, Amy will really be able to add to the team's success."
FRESHMEN
BGSU welcomes two new Falcons to the fold in 2010-11.
Bailey Arnold comes to the Falcons from Cincinnati, where she is a 2010 graduate of Seton High School. Arnold was a two-time GGCL Player of the Year while at Seton, and she was named team MVP in each of her four seasons. Arnold placed 18th at the state tournament as a junior and 39th as a senior, and she served as team captain.
BGSU's other freshman is Martinsville, Ind. native Kelsey Benson. Benson averaged 75.80 as a senior, as she led her team to the state championship. Her team also won the state title during her sophomore campaign and finished in the top five at the state tournament in her other two seasons. Benson served as team captain and was named MVP in both her junior and senior years.
Coach Youn says that both freshmen will have the opportunity to contribute right away, and she likes their contagious attitudes and desire to help the team. She also said, "Kelsey comes from a winning tradition at Martinsville High School. She has length combined with approach shot accuracy, not to mention the ability to make key putts in clutch situations. Bailey has natural talent and athleticism. She is a multi-sport athlete which is a testament to her competitiveness and 'no quit' attitude. She has experienced success and possesses the talent and work ethic to be a great college player."
2010-11 SCHEDULE
This year's slate of tournaments offers up quite a bit of familiarity but also poses some intriguing challenges.
The Falcons have five scheduled tournaments in both the fall and the spring for a season total of ten, and they start the season off fast.
The year begins in Denton, Texas, where the Falcons will take part in the Worldlink Fall Classic on Sept. 13-14. Then, just a few days later, the Falcons travel to North Carolina for a repeat trip to the Great Smokies Intercollegiate on Sept. 18-19. Last year, the Falcons began the year in Waynesville and walked away with a 15th place finish.
After a week to rest, the Falcons return to action on Sept. 27-28 in Muncie, Ind. for the Cardinal Classic. The golfers take two more weeks after their trip to Muncie before returning to action on Oct. 11-12. On those days, the Falcons go to Fairlawn, Ohio for the Zippy Invitational. Susannah Grunden won last year's Zippy Invite, while the team placed ninth.
BGSU rounds out the fall with the Duramed Mid-American Conference Preview on Oct. 18-19. The Preview will take place in Nashport, Ohio at the home of the Mid-American Conference championships in the spring.
The spring leg of BGSU's schedule is the same as last year's. It begins in Rio Verde, Ariz. from March 4-6 when the Falcons take part in the Rio Verde Invitational. In last year's tournament, the Falcons struggled to an 18th place finish.
One month later, the Falcons will go to Fishers, Ind. for the Longaberger Spring Challenge Cup, a match play event. Last year, BGSU lost 9-3 to Ohio University. The Orange and Brown then play their second tournament in less than a week for the second time this season, when they go to Richmond, Kent. for the EKU Lady Colonel Classic on April 9-10.
The Falcons then host the Falcon Invitational on April 16 and 17; they will try to improve on last year's fifth place finish in their lone home tournament of the season.
The Falcon Invitational will also serve as a tune-up for the Mid-American Conference Championship tournament, to be held from April 22-24. The MAC tournament will conclude the 2010-11 season.
About the schedule, Coach Young says, "Our fall schedule begins in early September, which allows for a couple weeks of solid practice time and an opportunity for plenty of play in order to evaluate the team and determine the best lineup for our first events."
She continues, "The competition and golf courses (in the first few tournaments) will be a true test for us early on before we begin running into many of the MAC teams later in the fall. I am excited for an opportunity to return to Ball State. (It is a) challenging golf course, similar to Stone Ridge here in BG, and we are able to use it as an early measuring stick against many MAC opponents."
Young finishes, "At Akron's Zippy Invitational, we want to have a solid showing against the competition, and (Susannah Grunden) will be looking to defend her title as well. We finish out (the fall) with the Mid American Conference Preview at Longaberger Golf Course. This is one of the premiere public courses in the state, so it will be a fantastic test of golf and a chance to "preview" our games on the course we will play on for the championship next April."
Please remember to return to BGSUFalcons.com throughout the year for up-to-date information about the 2010-11 Falcon women's golf team. You'll find tournament previews and recaps, up-to-date statistics and game notes, as well as other exciting content.
Head coach Stephanie Young returns for her fifth full season at the Falcons' helm. As the leader of the women's golf program, Young has led the team to three tournament championships and four runner-up finishes. She has also guided her athletes to four individual medalist finishes. Two of those runner-up team finishes came last season in the Youngstown State Invitational and the University of Dayton Invitational. Young's 2009 season also featured an individual medalist performance when freshman Susannah Grunden won the Zippy Invitational. Young is excited about the upcoming season's prospects and said, "This is a more experienced and dynamic team that has high expectations for themselves both on and off the golf course, which will require both discipline and committment to excellence in every area."
In 2010-11, the Falcons bring back most players from last year's squad. In fact, Hannah Lambert is the only Falcon who saw tournament time last year that will not return to the team this season. Lambert leaves the team after a successful senior campaign that saw her record her career-low per-round average. Her season average of 84.42 was third-best on the 2009-10 team and represented nearly a three-shot improvement over her average as a junior. Lambert recorded three top-20 finishes, including a season-best third place finish at the Youngstown State Invitational.
Eight athletes will comprise the Falcon team in 2010. Of the six returning players, two are seniors, one is a junior and three are sophomores. When you include BGSU's two incoming freshmen, this means that five of this year's eight-member team are under-classmen.
Let's take a look at the 2010-11 Falcons:
SENIORS
Twin sisters Lauren and Marisa Glew will serve as this year's senior class and team co-captains.
In 2009-10, Lauren posted a per-round average of 82.75, BGSU's second-best average of the season. Lauren's average has been under 83 in each of her three seasons as a Falcon, and she has also posted top-ten finishes each year. For her career, she has finished in the top-five of the tournament twice and in the top ten on five different occasions, including a ninth-place finish in last year's Dayton Invitational. Lauren's low round of the season came at the Zippy Invitational, where she posted a 76 in the second round. Overall, Lauren posted a sub-80 score in six of her 24 rounds. During her time at BGSU, Lauren earned a spot on the NGCA All-Scholar team twice and owned the school record for a low round by a freshman until last season.
Marisa enters her final Falcon campaign after carding a season average of 86.05 in 22 rounds in 2009-10. She earned her first top-ten finish since her freshman season when she placed sixth at the Youngstown State Invitational with an 83. The week prior, Marisa posted her low round of the season with an 82 at the rain-shortened Great Smokies Intercollegiate. During her career, Marisa earned a spot on the NGCA All-Scholar team and a career-best third-place tournament finish as a freshman. As a sophomore, she had a highlight sought by all golfers as she shot a hole-in-one at the Grand Prairie Classic.
About the Glew sisters, Coach Young says, "Successful teams require extraordinary leaders, and I have the utmost confidence in our leadership this season. Both Lauren and Marisa have contributed to building the foundation for this golf team. The twins effectively communicate and model what it takes to win and how to go after everything we do in a first-class manner."
Young continues, "On the golf course, I am expecting both Lauren and Marisa to have their best seasons yet. Lauren has been a starter on this team since her freshman year. She is a veteran for us in every area. It's understood that one of her many roles is for her score to count every time. With her experience comes the ability to battle and overcome the uncontrollables during competition and still walk away with a low score. Marisa has a fluid swing and is the type of player that doesn't make many mistakes. She is very steady. Marisa's game responds well to the pressure situation -- she's the one you want over the putt that needs to go down."
JUNIORS
Returning for her third season as a Falcon will be Paula DiFrancesco. Paula saw relatively limited action during the 2009-10 season, as she competed in ten rounds over a span of four tournaments. During those ten rounds, Paula recorded an average of 86.40 and had a season-low score of 79, which she recorded twice -- at the Duramed MAC Preview and the following week at the Dayton Invitational. In her freshman campaign, DiFrancesco had two rounds of 78 and a season average of 85.96.
Coach Young commented, "We have seen steady progress in (DiFrancesco's) development which can be attributed to her dedication to practice and the experiences taken from her rounds of competition. I am expecting to see a new level of play from Paula -- one that includes increased confidence and consistency."
SOPHOMORES
The Falcons return last year's class of three freshmen -- a class that included arguably the most successful freshman in school history.
Susannah (Susy) Grunden made an immediate impact on the program in her first season as a Falcon. In her very first tournament, the rain-shortened Great Smokies Intercollegiate, Grunden tied Lauren Glew's record for a low round by a freshman (74). Grunden recorded two more sub-80 rounds in the next two tournaments before taking the Zippy Invitational by storm. At the Zippy Invite, Grunden claimed medalist honors and set a new BGSU record for a low round by a freshman, as she shot a 73 in the second round. That round was part of a streak of seven consecutive rounds in which Grunden shot under 80. Grunden equaled her low round of 73 at the EKU Lady Colonel Classic, then ended the year with four more rounds in a row under 80, including all three rounds of the MAC Championships.
Grunden finished 15th at the MAC Championships and closed with a third-round 76. In that round, she birdied the last two holes -- and the birdie on her final hole of the season gave Grunden the BGSU record for season scoring average. Grunden now owns that record -- by four one-thousandths of a point! Her average of 78.538 surpassed that of Jenny Schnipke, who recorded an average of 78.542 for the Falcons during the 2003-04 season.
About Grunden, Coach Young said, "Susy realizes the need to maintain her focus and committment to her goals in order to help lead our team on the course. She enters competition with an aggressive mindset of attacking the golf course, which has been a main driver for her success. As her course management and short game sharpens, we look for her scores to lower."
Joining Grunden in the returning sophomore class are Jen Blanchard and Amy Ruthenberg.
Blanchard played in one tournament each during the fall and spring seasons. In October's All-Ohio Invitational, Blanchard posted a 13-shot improvement from the first to the second rounds and recorded a top-20 finish in her debut tournament. She also competed in April's Falcon Invitational.
Like Blanchard, Ruthenberg debuted at the All-Ohio Invite and recorded a strong finish. After beginning with an 86, Ruthenberg carded a second-round 83 and finished in a tie for tenth place. In the spring season, Ruthenberg competed in each of the team's final three tournaments. At the Lady Colonel Classic and Falcon Invite, four of Ruthenberg's five rounds were 85 or lower. Then, at the MAC Championships, she recorded her low round of the year with a second-round 81. Ultimately, Ruthenberg finished the season with an average of 85.10, fourth best on the team.
"Jen Blanchard competed in many events over the summer -- that dedication towards working on her game combined with lessons learned from last season should point towards second year success," said Young. "Amy Ruthenberg led our team in the classroom all season as a freshman with a 4.0 GPA, and she really came on strong with her game in the April stretch of our spring schedule. As she continues to become more comfortable with her game in competition situations, Amy will really be able to add to the team's success."
FRESHMEN
BGSU welcomes two new Falcons to the fold in 2010-11.
Bailey Arnold comes to the Falcons from Cincinnati, where she is a 2010 graduate of Seton High School. Arnold was a two-time GGCL Player of the Year while at Seton, and she was named team MVP in each of her four seasons. Arnold placed 18th at the state tournament as a junior and 39th as a senior, and she served as team captain.
BGSU's other freshman is Martinsville, Ind. native Kelsey Benson. Benson averaged 75.80 as a senior, as she led her team to the state championship. Her team also won the state title during her sophomore campaign and finished in the top five at the state tournament in her other two seasons. Benson served as team captain and was named MVP in both her junior and senior years.
Coach Youn says that both freshmen will have the opportunity to contribute right away, and she likes their contagious attitudes and desire to help the team. She also said, "Kelsey comes from a winning tradition at Martinsville High School. She has length combined with approach shot accuracy, not to mention the ability to make key putts in clutch situations. Bailey has natural talent and athleticism. She is a multi-sport athlete which is a testament to her competitiveness and 'no quit' attitude. She has experienced success and possesses the talent and work ethic to be a great college player."
2010-11 SCHEDULE
This year's slate of tournaments offers up quite a bit of familiarity but also poses some intriguing challenges.
The Falcons have five scheduled tournaments in both the fall and the spring for a season total of ten, and they start the season off fast.
The year begins in Denton, Texas, where the Falcons will take part in the Worldlink Fall Classic on Sept. 13-14. Then, just a few days later, the Falcons travel to North Carolina for a repeat trip to the Great Smokies Intercollegiate on Sept. 18-19. Last year, the Falcons began the year in Waynesville and walked away with a 15th place finish.
After a week to rest, the Falcons return to action on Sept. 27-28 in Muncie, Ind. for the Cardinal Classic. The golfers take two more weeks after their trip to Muncie before returning to action on Oct. 11-12. On those days, the Falcons go to Fairlawn, Ohio for the Zippy Invitational. Susannah Grunden won last year's Zippy Invite, while the team placed ninth.
BGSU rounds out the fall with the Duramed Mid-American Conference Preview on Oct. 18-19. The Preview will take place in Nashport, Ohio at the home of the Mid-American Conference championships in the spring.
The spring leg of BGSU's schedule is the same as last year's. It begins in Rio Verde, Ariz. from March 4-6 when the Falcons take part in the Rio Verde Invitational. In last year's tournament, the Falcons struggled to an 18th place finish.
One month later, the Falcons will go to Fishers, Ind. for the Longaberger Spring Challenge Cup, a match play event. Last year, BGSU lost 9-3 to Ohio University. The Orange and Brown then play their second tournament in less than a week for the second time this season, when they go to Richmond, Kent. for the EKU Lady Colonel Classic on April 9-10.
The Falcons then host the Falcon Invitational on April 16 and 17; they will try to improve on last year's fifth place finish in their lone home tournament of the season.
The Falcon Invitational will also serve as a tune-up for the Mid-American Conference Championship tournament, to be held from April 22-24. The MAC tournament will conclude the 2010-11 season.
About the schedule, Coach Young says, "Our fall schedule begins in early September, which allows for a couple weeks of solid practice time and an opportunity for plenty of play in order to evaluate the team and determine the best lineup for our first events."
She continues, "The competition and golf courses (in the first few tournaments) will be a true test for us early on before we begin running into many of the MAC teams later in the fall. I am excited for an opportunity to return to Ball State. (It is a) challenging golf course, similar to Stone Ridge here in BG, and we are able to use it as an early measuring stick against many MAC opponents."
Young finishes, "At Akron's Zippy Invitational, we want to have a solid showing against the competition, and (Susannah Grunden) will be looking to defend her title as well. We finish out (the fall) with the Mid American Conference Preview at Longaberger Golf Course. This is one of the premiere public courses in the state, so it will be a fantastic test of golf and a chance to "preview" our games on the course we will play on for the championship next April."
Please remember to return to BGSUFalcons.com throughout the year for up-to-date information about the 2010-11 Falcon women's golf team. You'll find tournament previews and recaps, up-to-date statistics and game notes, as well as other exciting content.
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