Belcher, Nochta leading as team's base players

When IU coach Clint Wallman took over for 23-year veteran coach Sam Carmichael in 2004, he knew his 2006 recruiting class would set the foundation for the future of women’s golf at his school.

The major need was diversity in the program, along with players who had tournament experience at the junior level.

Wallman inked a recruiting class that featured three players in Anita Gahir, Laura Nochta and Kellye Belcher, and the diversity factor was covered.

In signing the 2003 Canadian Junior Player of the Year (Gahir) and two AJGA All-Americans (Belcher and Nochta), Wallman had secured three players who had the tournament experience he was looking for to rebuild a program that had just missed the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive season.

The tournament experience factor was covered.

“It was really important to get a really good base for the program,” Wallman said. “I was a little nervous because neither of them committed until October, but once we got them on campus and talked to them about their contribution on the golf program, it was on them.”

Gahir had an accomplished three and a half years for the Hoosiers, but she left the team for personal reasons earlier this season.

It is now up to the lone seniors left in Belcher and Nochta to return the Hoosiers back to the postseason, a place they have not been since their freshman years.

“In some ways, this signifies the end of their run or era, and hopefully we can tie their freshman and senior years together by making a deep run into the postseason.” Wallman said.

The recruiting processes for both players were different in many ways but eventually led to the same destination.

Nochta took three separate visits to IU, and in the end, the combination of athletics and academics outweighed surrounding Midwest schools.

To secure the commitment of Belcher, Wallman had to convince her that a school seven hours north of her hometown of Memphis could present the opportunity she needed to pursue a career in golf.

“I chose IU because I came up here on an unofficial visit and the town and coach was exactly what I was looking for,” Belcher said.

As a freshman, Belcher led the Hoosiers in scoring average, and she has been consistent since.

“She has been incredibly steady over her four years, and we know she is always there and her score will always count,” Wallman said.

With her career winding down, Belcher said it will be tough leaving her teammates behind next fall.

“It’s been fun, but I can’t believe it’s already over,” Belcher said. “It’s going to be weird leaving the college town of Bloomington and heading home to the city.”

Even though her career as a college golfer will come to an end next month, Belcher plans on sending out applications this summer to become a college golf coach.

With three freshmen playing in the lineup this season, the leadership of Belcher has rubbed off on the future of the IU program.

“Kellye has been a big influence on me and has really helped me break into this program,” freshman Pamela Burneski said. I have learned from Kellye to follow your dreams.”

Nochta, meanwhile, has been down a road of hard work and believing she could becoming an All-Big Ten Player.

She said her short game has come a long way since her freshman year, and she has learned how to score.

All the work paid off when she captured the Lady Puerto Rico Classic during her junior season.

Nochta will pursue a career in professional golf starting this fall, but she didn’t always think she had that ability.

“When I was in high school, I never dreamed of playing college golf, and coming here, all I wanted to do was play in a few events,” Nochta said.  “Now I have played in every event since I have been here, and winning one was definitely something I will always remember.”

Her senior season has been very consistent as she has been the low Hoosier in every tournament this season except for the Mary Fossum Invitational in September.

“She is preparing herself to play on the tour, and everything she has done has been geared towards that goal,” Wallman said. “She has worked very hard, and her quality of play is that of a professional.”

Besides not having the low scores from Nochta next season, Burneski will miss her “mother” around her at all times.

“The freshmen know her as ‘momma’ Laura and she has taken us under her wing as baby ducks,” Burneski said. “She has done a good job of teaching us the ropes and taught me to have the tenacity to keep going.”

With two tournaments remaining in the regular season, Wallman took time to reflect on what his two seniors have meant to the IU program.

“It’s going to be very tough to see them go because they have achieved so much,” Wallman said. “I’m going to miss them from the scoring standpoint but much more from seeing them every day.”

The two seniors’ impact on the program will not be measured solely in numbers, but also in what the future holds for IU women’s golf.

“Kellye and I knew that we were going to make a big impact here, and I think leaving, we have made a lot of memories and put our names in the record books,” Nochta said. “Hopefully we have passed on a few things to the girls to continue the growth of the program.”