Golf team goes for IU’s 26th national championship

The Hoosiers hold 25 national championships to their name, 18 of which have come in men’s basketball, soccer and swimming. Now the IU women’s golf team has the opportunity to clench number 26 and the first for a team in their sport. \nThe Hoosiers were ranked 52nd nationally coming into postseason play but came out of the NCAA Central Regionals in fourth. GolfWeek magazine has named IU its team of the week and have called them a “Cinderella” team. \nIU Coach Clint Wallman does not believe, however, that any glass slippers are involved.\n“I think that we are labeled a (Cinderella team), but that is not the case,” Wallman said. “I was confident in our abilities, and it is not a surprise to me we moved on.”\nAt the regional round in Ann Arbor, Mich., IU finished with its best score of 884 and will now compete in its first national championship since 1998. In that tournament, IU was led by junior Elaine Harris, who carded a 69, the lowest score in the final round, and as a result finished seventh. \nIn the national championship, the champion, along with the top three runners-up, will receive trophies. The nation’s top 24 teams, including Big Ten rival Michigan State and in-state rival Purdue, will \nbe competing.\nWith the challenge ahead, Wallman is content with an already successful season, despite the fact he wants to win and be in rarified air. \n“(It has) definitely been a successful (season) and we will do our best to play our best,” Wallman said. “Numbers don’t matter, as nationals are 4 rounds and will be treated as its own season, and we are very excited and looking forward to it”.\nComplicating matters for IU are the ongoing injury problems of freshmen Kellye Belcher and Anita Gahir, both of whom have played major roles in IU’s successful season. Belcher has a foot injury that has forced her to wear special shoes, and Gahir has a bad back that has flared up several times \nduring play. \nWallman knows the injuries will have to be played through and is okay with playing the hand he has been dealt. \n“We still have some things to work through (including) injuries and (we will) do our best with what we’ve got,” he said. \nThe tournament runs Tuesday through Friday in Daytona Beach, Fla. Fans wishing to track IU’s progress to see if they are crowned champions may do so on www.golfstat.com