Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
Women’s Golf Spring Preview
Feb 13 | Women's Golf
PISCATAWAY – On the heels of its most successful fall season in program history, women's golf takes flight for its spring opener this weekend. With their 299.80 team-record scoring average and 86 national rating per Golfstat in tow, the Scarlet Knights compete Saturday and Sunday in Mercer's Lake Oconee Invitational, the first of six tournaments on the schedule.
"I think everyone is excited to get back out on to the course and compete," said head coach Kari Williams. "We had some strong individual and team performances in the fall, but we are looking to play with more consistency this spring. The team has been working hard during our indoor practices and in the weight room to prepare for our first event."
Rutgers earned a pair of top five finishes in the fall, playing a difficult tournament slate featuring numerous ranked programs. Seven experienced letterwinners return to further the progress that included a third place finish at the Nittany Lion Invitational in September. The Scarlet Knights totaled an 879 (299-288-292) in the 16 team event, as freshman Maeve Rossi tied for second and sophomore Harriet Allsebrook tied for seventh among the 90 competitors.
In her fall rookie campaign, Rossi recorded a team-record 74.07 scoring average, while placing among the top 25 in all five tournaments. Her 4.98 par five scoring average was the best in the program history. She was followed closely by Allsebrook, who carded a 74.92 scoring average and registered a program-record 4.13 par four average in the process. Junior Carrie-Ann Lee (75.33) and graduate student Ashleigh Greenham (75.33) also bolster a strong scorecard that features four competitors with scoring averages below 76.0 in the fall.
Senior Astrid Aneman, junior co-captain Ana Cortes and sophomore Lori Char return to strengthen a lineup that possesses a blend of both youth and experience. Winter training served to further this experience. In addition to indoor practices on campus, the Scarlet Knight benefited from training trips to West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie, Fla.
"Our training trips down to Florida have been really important to our preparation for the season," said Char. "We have the chance to practice and play qualifying rounds, and that time back in the sun and on grass gives us confidence as we start thinking about our first tournament of the spring."
Of the six tournaments on the spring slate, three are new to the schedule, including the opening event. Williams continues to enhance the level of competition to not only prepare the Scarlet Knights for the Big Ten Tournament, but to build toward post-season aspirations.
"It is a strong schedule that we should do well with," said Williams. "There is a mix of familiar events and new tournaments, as well as fields that we can go be very competitive in. These events will make us well prepared to face conference teams at Ohio State and to perform at the Big Ten Championship."
After this weekend's Lake Oconee Invitational in Atlanta, Rutgers returns to the River Landing Classic (March 5-6), hosted by UNC-Wilmington, for the fourth time in five years. Last year, then senior Emily Mills won the tournament, while the Scarlet Knights matched their best single round score (287) and carded the second best team score (887) in program history.
During Spring Break, RU travels west to compete for the first time in the University of San Francisco's Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational (March 18-19).
April offers three events, beginning with Rutgers' first appearance in Murray State's Jan Weaver Invitational (April 5-6), before the Scarlet Knights compete in their fourth Lady Buckeye Invitational (April 13-14) in Columbus to prepare for the Big Ten Championships. Slated for April 19-21, the Championships will take place at TPC River's Bend in Cincinnati for the third straight season.
"It is great to have a mix of new and familiar events on the schedule," said Allsebrook. "We know a few of these courses pretty well and should only improve our play on them this spring. We are all excited for the season and we cannot wait to compete again."
Under Williams, achievement has not been limited to the course. In addition to setting program marks in competition this past fall, the Scarlet Knights had another successful semester in the classroom. Greenham, Lee, and Char earned 4.0 grade point averages, while Lee and Char were joined on the Dean's List by Åneman, Cortes, Allsebrook, and Rossi. Women's golf had a collective grade point average of 3.84, best among all Rutgers athletics programs. The team was recently recognized by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) with the National Girls and Women in Sports Day Team Academic Award for the second time in as many years.
Follow Rutgers women's golf on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For additional news and updates, please download the Rutgers Athletics Gameday App.
"I think everyone is excited to get back out on to the course and compete," said head coach Kari Williams. "We had some strong individual and team performances in the fall, but we are looking to play with more consistency this spring. The team has been working hard during our indoor practices and in the weight room to prepare for our first event."
Rutgers earned a pair of top five finishes in the fall, playing a difficult tournament slate featuring numerous ranked programs. Seven experienced letterwinners return to further the progress that included a third place finish at the Nittany Lion Invitational in September. The Scarlet Knights totaled an 879 (299-288-292) in the 16 team event, as freshman Maeve Rossi tied for second and sophomore Harriet Allsebrook tied for seventh among the 90 competitors.
In her fall rookie campaign, Rossi recorded a team-record 74.07 scoring average, while placing among the top 25 in all five tournaments. Her 4.98 par five scoring average was the best in the program history. She was followed closely by Allsebrook, who carded a 74.92 scoring average and registered a program-record 4.13 par four average in the process. Junior Carrie-Ann Lee (75.33) and graduate student Ashleigh Greenham (75.33) also bolster a strong scorecard that features four competitors with scoring averages below 76.0 in the fall.
Senior Astrid Aneman, junior co-captain Ana Cortes and sophomore Lori Char return to strengthen a lineup that possesses a blend of both youth and experience. Winter training served to further this experience. In addition to indoor practices on campus, the Scarlet Knight benefited from training trips to West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie, Fla.
"Our training trips down to Florida have been really important to our preparation for the season," said Char. "We have the chance to practice and play qualifying rounds, and that time back in the sun and on grass gives us confidence as we start thinking about our first tournament of the spring."
Of the six tournaments on the spring slate, three are new to the schedule, including the opening event. Williams continues to enhance the level of competition to not only prepare the Scarlet Knights for the Big Ten Tournament, but to build toward post-season aspirations.
"It is a strong schedule that we should do well with," said Williams. "There is a mix of familiar events and new tournaments, as well as fields that we can go be very competitive in. These events will make us well prepared to face conference teams at Ohio State and to perform at the Big Ten Championship."
After this weekend's Lake Oconee Invitational in Atlanta, Rutgers returns to the River Landing Classic (March 5-6), hosted by UNC-Wilmington, for the fourth time in five years. Last year, then senior Emily Mills won the tournament, while the Scarlet Knights matched their best single round score (287) and carded the second best team score (887) in program history.
During Spring Break, RU travels west to compete for the first time in the University of San Francisco's Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational (March 18-19).
April offers three events, beginning with Rutgers' first appearance in Murray State's Jan Weaver Invitational (April 5-6), before the Scarlet Knights compete in their fourth Lady Buckeye Invitational (April 13-14) in Columbus to prepare for the Big Ten Championships. Slated for April 19-21, the Championships will take place at TPC River's Bend in Cincinnati for the third straight season.
"It is great to have a mix of new and familiar events on the schedule," said Allsebrook. "We know a few of these courses pretty well and should only improve our play on them this spring. We are all excited for the season and we cannot wait to compete again."
Under Williams, achievement has not been limited to the course. In addition to setting program marks in competition this past fall, the Scarlet Knights had another successful semester in the classroom. Greenham, Lee, and Char earned 4.0 grade point averages, while Lee and Char were joined on the Dean's List by Åneman, Cortes, Allsebrook, and Rossi. Women's golf had a collective grade point average of 3.84, best among all Rutgers athletics programs. The team was recently recognized by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) with the National Girls and Women in Sports Day Team Academic Award for the second time in as many years.
Follow Rutgers women's golf on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For additional news and updates, please download the Rutgers Athletics Gameday App.
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