M I C H I G A N S T A T E - Netitor

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Season Preview
2007-08 Season Preview:
Reload: Spartans Set Sights On NCAAs
Many coaches would break into a cold sweat at the thought of losing 60 percent
of their starting lineup to graduation, especially in women’s golf where there are
not only five starters, but only four scores that count each round.
8 NCAA C hampionships App earances • 9 NCAA Regional App earances
Entering her 11th year as head coach at Michigan State, Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll
has already seen it before. In 2004-05, without a trio of seniors that led Michigan
State to the NCAA Championships the year before, Slobodnik-Stoll plugged
in then-sophomores Mandi McConnell and Rachel Meikle and freshman Sara
Brown and watched the Spartans take 17th at the NCAA Championships.
So now that Slobodnik-Stoll must fill out her first lineup card in four seasons
without Heather Rose, McConnell or Meikle she says the Spartans are not just
ready to challenge for their seventh trip to the NCAA Championships in nine
years, but poised to get there.
Of course, it does help that even though the Spartans lost three golfers in the
school’s top 10 in career scoring average, they return senior Sara Brown, who
has the lowest scoring average in school history, junior Holly Niederkohr, who
was a significant contribuitor in 2006-07, and sophomore Laura Kueny, who had
a sensational start to her career in the fall, before being declared academically
ineligible for the spring. Senior Jordyn Wells, two redshirt sophomores and two
redshirt freshmen are also waiting for an opportunity along with one of the finest
recruiting classes in school history. These players are why Slobodnik-Stoll is
confident that the Spartans are ready to make another run at the NCAA Championships.
“Having Laura (Kueny) back is going to be big for us,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “Obviously,
the loss of her in the spring was tremendous, but it was also a great lesson
for the team. Being able to win the Big Ten Championship and finish 16th at
Nationals was awesome. We proved that one player will never be bigger than the
team, and the depth of our squad really shined in the spring.
“Losing Heather (Rose), Mandi (McConnell) and Rachel (Meikle) is major, but we
know that we have built a program based on tradition and excellence. Each year
we bring in players who are capable of immediately filling in the gaps left behind
by the seniors. Even though it may look like there are holes, we expect people to
step up and make an immediate impact.”
Brown has put together two of the finest seasons in school history as a sophomore
and a junior, dropping her career scoring average to a record 75.63. Her
74.18 scoring average as a sophomore is the lowest in school history and her
75.35 scoring average as a junior is fifth on the school’s list. She earned First Team
All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore after finishing second at the Big Ten Championships
and as a junior after finishing sixth.
As a junior, she earned MSU’s George Alderton Female Athlete of the Year Award,
thanks to six top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes in 13 events. She also won
her first collegiate tournament (the Landfall Tradition), and earned two weekly
Player of the Week awards, one from Golfweek after winning the Landfall, and
one from the Big Ten after finishing second at the Central District Invitational.
“Sara is a wonderful person, on the golf course, off the golf course and in the
classroom,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “She’s a joy to have on the team because she is
motivated and constantly wants to learn and get better. She is a leader and a
perfect ambassador for our University. What I appreciate is her drive to take her
game to the next level. She understands her strengths and weaknesses, which in
turn allows our coaching staff to move her game to the professional level. That’s
what’s so great about her - she’s coachable. She’s driven not only by success individually,
but also for Michigan State University.”
Sophomore Laura Kueny will return to the starting five, bringing with her a 75.75
collegiate scoring average in 12 rounds. She posted two top-10 finishes during
four fall tournaments as a freshman, finishing fourth at the Lady Northern and
eighth at the Landfall Tradition. During the summer, she continued to impress,
winning three FIDRA summer tournaments, posting the second-best qualifying
score at the Women’s Western Amateur Open, and winning the Trans National
Women’s Golf Association Amateur Championship.
Senior Sara Brown has the lowest career stroke average in school history and is a
two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection.
“Knowing that she was ranked 80th in the country, averaging 75 strokes per
round after the fall as a freshman, it was huge,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “What a talented
player. She loves the game and now, she can succeed in the classroom as
well. We’re really looking forward to having her back. We’re going to need her to
post numbers and have those high finishes as the rock next to Sara. She’s ready
to do that.”
Junior Holly Niederkohr came on strong to earn a spot in the starting five last
spring, as she posted a 78.32 stroke average in 31 rounds. In 55 career rounds,
she has posted a 78.09 scoring average, the 11th-best in school history. The
Marysville, Ohio, native had three top-20 performances, including her first top-
10 finish, a tie for ninth at the Lady Buckeye Invitational. She also finished in the
top 40 at both the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Central Regionals.
“Holly has made significant contributions to the team, and now we will be looking
for consistency from her in her junior year,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “Holly is a
supurb athlete and is a really neat young woman because of her passion and
drive to be the best. We expect her to fill one of those holes left by the seniors
and along with her talent on the course, Holly also brings humor to our team.
She is always making everyone smile and laugh, which is an important characteristic.”
After those three, Slobodnik-Stoll said that the remaining slots in the lineup are
wide open. Senior Jordyn Wells has started at times during her career, posting a
78.50 career scoring average in 42 rounds. She has finished in the top-20 twice,
including an 11th-place finish at the Lady Northern at Forest Akers West last fall.
Redshirt sophomore Jen Domagalski will also have a shot at the starting five. She
has gained valuable experience in her first two seasons on the team and after a
solid summer of tournaments will be ready to vie for a spot on the travel team.
Domagalski also qualified for match play at the Women’s Western in 2007.
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