Photo by: Rich Clarkson and Associates
The women’s golf team went into the Sun Belt Conference championship tournament with momentum from a string of successful tournaments.
The SBC championships started yesterday and will conclude tomorrow at Muscle Shoals, Ala.
After day one, the No. 15 nationally ranked Pioneers finished in first place with a score of 7-under par, and 19 strokes ahead of second place Florida International and Middle Tennessee, who both finished the first day with a score of 12-over par.
The first day results bring the Pioneers closer to winning their seventh consecutive SBC title.
Before their success in the SBC, the team placed sixth in a field of 17 teams on April 11 at the 2010 PING/Arizona State University Invitational, which was played in Tempe, Ariz.
DU had back-to-back ninth place finishes before their success in Tempe. They enjoyed another sixth place finish at the Northrupp Grumman Regional Challenge back on Feb. 8-10 at Palos Verdes, Calif.
“I would say we are playing our best right now,” said head coach Sammie Chergo. “Momentum is building around this team going into the final part of the season, which is the most important thing any team can have.”
In order to close out their seventh consecutive SBC title and have success at the NCAA tournament, the Pioneers will need to remain consistent, which has led to the recent success.
“What has been amazing this year is that we don’t have one superstar. We have a lot of people out there that are helping us,” said Chergo. “Everyone has improved, including Ellie Givens, Sarah Faller and Kelly Drack.”
The team’s top-scoring golfers are freshman Kimberly Kim, who is second with a scoring average of 74.29, and senior Stephanie Sherlock, who is an All-American and the team stroke leader, scoring an average of 74.20 through 20 rounds played.
“Kimberly Kim has helped us because she has had prior tournament experience,” said Chergo. “And Stephanie has played well throughout the season.”
Sherlock is the team’s only senior and led the team in scoring last season with a scoring average of 73.38.
This year, Kim and Sherlock have been vital to the teams success, but having a supporting cast has helped. Givens, Faller, and Drack have all helped keep the team average down. Before yesterday’s tournament, the Pioneers averaged a team score of 298 through eight tournaments and 23 rounds of play.
In the SBC tournament, DU faces top-ranked SBC teams, including MTU, FIU and Arkansas Little Rock. However no team has challenged the six-time defending SBC champs, who are now closer to advancing to the NCAA tournament, which will begin May 6-8.
The Pioneers have much to be confident about. The team has been comfortable playing at the SCB tournament course at Muscle Shoals. In 2008, Denver played at the same course and walked away with a conference title.
“We did really well there a few years ago and it is a good test for us now,” said Chergo. “It is a little shorter course than the ones we are used to playing on.”
If the team is successful this week, the next challenge for the Pioneers is the NCAA championship, where DU finished fifth last season out of 24 teams.
The Pioneers also won the East Regional championship last season, which was the team’s first ever-regional championship.
“The mood is of excitement for us right now,” said Chergo. “Everyone is looking forward to competing and doing our best and we want to bring home another SBC championship and something more for the university.”
