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Women's Golf 2011 Fall Review
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Sophomore Ember Schuldt had one of six individual top-10 finishes for the Illini during the fall.
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Nov. 28, 2011
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illini broke the 54-hole school record to start off the 2011 fall season and finished with four top-five team finishes, including a pair of runner-up showings. Individually, the Orange and Blue turned in six top-10 finishes, including two each from seniors Hailey Koschmann and Samantha Sloan and one from sophomore Ember Schuldt and redshirt freshman Jacqueline Calamaro. Throughout the season, head coach Renee Slone used a consistent lineup, with Koschmann, Sloan, Schuldt and senior Katelin Dilger traveling to every tournament. Senior Nora Lucas, freshman Michelle Mayer and Calamaro also made contributions to the team during the fall season.
The Illini began their fall campaign in Fort Collins, Colo., at the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic, where they shattered the 54-hole school record by 15 strokes with a team total of 875 (+11) to tie for second with Colorado. The team recorded a second round score of 287 (-1), which ranks second in school history. Four Illini golfers finished in the top-15, with Koschmann leading the Illini, posting her career low three round total of 217 (+1) and placing fourth. Three other Illini also carded career-best totals at the tournament, with Schuldt carding a 218 (+2), Sloan posting a 220 (+4), and Lucas recording a 221 (+5).
Next, Illinois traveled to Lexington, Ky., to compete in the Bettie Lou Evans Fall Invitational. The Illini improved their score with every round of the event and placed fifth out of 16 teams after carding a 312 (+24) in the third round. Sloan led the team individually, posting a 54-hole total of 231 (+15) to finish in sixth place. Mayer made her collegiate debut, competing as an individual.
The Illini then competed in the Lady Northern Intercollegiate at the Donald Ross Golf Course in French Lick, Ind., which will be the location of the Big Ten Championship in the spring. Illinois finished seventh, with Sloan and Schuldt tying for 30th individually. Sloan's final round 73 (+2) was her best of the tournament, while Schuldt tallied the same score in the first round.
Illinois bounced back at the Hoosier Fall Invitational, held in Carmel Ind., where they placed third out of 13 teams after carding a second round 293 (+5), which ranks eighth in school history. Four Illini finished in the top-20, with Koschmann tying for sixth after a 54-hole total of 226 (+10). Sloan (228) tied for 11th, and Dilger (230) had her best finish of the fall, tying for 18th. Redshirt freshman Jacqueline Calamaro made her collegiate debut, competing as an individual and finishing in a tie for 15th.
"Getting them that tournament experience, just seeing what all takes place behind the scenes from the traveling aspect to what our daily routine is like, is always beneficial," head coach Renee Slone said of Mayer and Calamaro. "Jackie had two solid tournaments, so that is definitely a boost to the confidence as well. Heading into the off-season, they're both highly motivated to continue working hard and step up to bigger and better things in the spring."
The Orange and Blue finished their fall season at the Fighting Camel Fall Classic in Buies Creek, N.C. The Illini placed second out of 12 teams, posting a 54-hole total of 923 (+59). Sloan recorded her highest finish of the fall, placing fifth with a score of 229 (+13), while Calamaro (231) finished in a tie for sixth after carding her career low round of 74 (+2) in the second round.
"As a team, our total short game was 19th in the country at the end of the fall season," Slone said. "That's something that we're getting some good results in, but we continue to strive to improve there all the time. Putting has been an area that we've focused on lately, and that is an area that during the offseason that we definitely need to improve upon.
"Just our total average putts, just as well as reducing the number of three-putts that we have, and taking advantage of the birdie opportunities we're given. We haven't been converting as many of those as we would like. So we'll continue working on the short game, but it's always very helpful that we're putting ourselves in position off the tee to make pars and birdies. Now we just need to kind of hone in on those areas."
