For the 23rd time in school history, IU women's golf has claimed an NCAA Regional bid and will compete in the East Lansing, Michigan Regional from May 6-8.
“I think the team is really deserving,” IU Head Coach Clint Wallman said. “We have played some really strong golf since March, and the team has worked hard to get back into the postseason mix.”
IU will head to East Lansing as the No. 14 seed in the 18-team regional. East Lansing serves as one of the four NCAA Regional sites.
After three rounds of golf, the top six teams from each regional will advance to the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The top three individuals from each regional who are not members of the six advancing teams will also earn a chance to compete as individuals in Fayetteville.
The East Lansing Regional will be played at Forest Akers West Golf Course, a course IU knows well. The Hoosiers finished eighth in a 16-team event played at Forest Akers West back in September.
“We love Forest Akers West,” Wallman said. “It fits our players because we have some length.”
A quality stretch of play to close out the regular season for IU is what ultimately earned the team a NCAA bid. On April 14, IU won the Lady Boilermaker Classic, and backed it up the week after with a strong performance at the Big Ten Championship, where it tied for second.
“They have found their groove,” Wallman said. “Since March they’ve been playing better and better collectively. “We’ve had great balance, and that balance is a huge strength for us.”
Now making his sixth NCAA Regional appearance, Wallman said he feels as confident as he ever has leading up to a postseason opportunity.
“I feel very confident because this is probably the best team we’ve put together,” Wallman said. “This team has a lot of firepower from top to bottom with a lot of players who can make birdies.”
IU will send its top five players to compete: seniors Kari Bellville and Erin Harper, sophomores Mary Parsons and Priscilla Schmid, and freshman Alexis Miestowski.
