Hoosiers at home for only time in decade

IU women's golf coach Clint Wallman hopes to keep things rolling into this upcoming weekend's star-studded field in Bloomington for the Lady Northern Invitational. The Hoosiers have shown marked improvement in their first two tournaments, the Notre Dame Invitational and the Mary Fossum Invitational, last weekend at Michigan State, and look to continue their progress at their home course, the IU golf course. The best part for Wallman is that the excitement surrounding the program can come to fruition this weekend. \n"We get this opportunity (to host the Lady Northern and the Big Ten Championships) once every 10 years and that is exactly what I told the girls," Wallman said. "We have a chance to put ourselves right in the thick of things in the preseason golf rankings." \nThe Lady Northern provides some great competition for this year's team. The field includes the entire Big Ten, except Ohio State, and also will have perennial Midwest powers Notre Dame and Illinois State University. \nWhile it's clear this tournament is stocked with great teams, it's the chance for continued improvement that excites coach Wallman. \n"We're poised to start our process of really improving very, very quick," said the coach, who's in his second season with the Hoosiers. "I'm very encouraged and I think we will have a very good \ntournament." \nThe Hoosiers will send out six golfers this weekend in hopes of finishing at the top of the standings. Seniors Shannon Johnson and Katie Carlson, sophomores Elaine Harrisand Kendal Hake, and freshman Amber Lindgren will make their way to the tee boxes for the first time this season. \nJohnson started off the season hot for the Hoosiers by tying for the win at the Notre Dame Invitational with a 7-over-par 223. The following week at Michigan State she fired a 225, good enough for 13th place. She, along with the rest of her IU teammates, will look to improve upon fairways hit and greens in regulation hit. \n"We need to really buckle down and work on those," said Johnson, who leads the team in per round average at 74.67.\nThe Hoosiers have been looking forward to this tournament for some time and the girls on the team are well aware what it could mean for a program that is desperately trying to turn the corner.\n"This year we get to host the Lady Northern and the Big Tens," Carlson said. "It's definitely something we are looking forward to."\nTournament play begins Saturday at the IU Championship course, with continuous play in the first two rounds beginning with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The final round will also be an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start \nSunday.