Kent State Golden Flashes women's golf
Kent State Golden Flashes women's golf | |
---|---|
University | Kent State University |
Conference | Mid-American Conference |
Head coach | Casey VanDamme (4th season) |
Location | Kent, Ohio |
Course | Windmill Lakes |
Nickname | Golden Flashes |
Colors | Navy blue and gold[1] |
NCAA match play | |
2017, 2018 | |
NCAA Championship appearances | |
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |
Conference champions | |
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |
Individual conference champions | |
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 (2) |
The Kent State Golden Flashes women's golf team is an intercollegiate sport at
Windmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna serves as the program's home course and occasionally hosts matches. The main practice facility is the Page and Ferrara Golf Training and Learning Center, a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) building located in Franklin Township, which the team shares with the men's golf team. The facility includes a 350-yard (320 m) outdoor practice range, outdoor practice tees, and outdoor short-game practice areas as well as an indoor putting and chipping area, a video analysis room, and a Science and Motion Putt lab. In addition, the rear of the facility features heated stalls which allow team members to access the driving range year-round.[3]
The Flashes' head coach is Casey VanDamme, who was hired in August 2021. VanDamme came from
History
Plans for the team were first explored in 1995 as Kent State began looking into ways to increase women's athletic opportunities to be in compliance with Title IX.[5][6] The university ultimately decided to add women's soccer for 1997, golf for 1998, and tennis for 1999, though the tennis team was never realized.[7] Mike Morrow, a Kent State alumnus who had played on the KSU men's golf team in the 1970s, was hired as the women's golf program first head coach in September 1997.[8] The team played in their first match one year later, placing fourth out of 13 teams in the Mary Fossum Invitational at Forest Akers Golf Courses in East Lansing, Michigan, on September 12 and 13, 1998.[9][10] In their second tournament one week later, the Flashes finished second out of 20 teams in the Huskie Classic in Genoa, Illinois, and the following week, Kent State claimed its first tournament win in program history, winning the Lady Falcon Invitational in Bowling Green, Ohio, held September 26 and 27.[2] The Flashes won the inaugural Mid-American Conference Women's Golf Championships the following April, winning the team title by 25 strokes. Jan Dowling was MAC medalist, with teammates finishing second and tied for third in the individual competition. The 2008 MAC championship set the conference record for largest margin of victory, with KSU winning by 66 strokes.[11]
Through the 2024 season, Kent State has won over 50 tournaments, including 25 MAC championships. Mike Morrow coached the team from its establishment in 1998 until January 2013, midway through the 2012–13 season, when he announced his retirement. Under Morrow, the team played in 166 events and won 31 of them, including 14 MAC championships, and advanced to the NCAA tournament 12 times, reaching the championship round in five of those years.
MAC championships
The Mid-American Conference added women's golf as a sponsored sport beginning in the 1998–99 season, with Kent State one of seven conference schools to begin offering the sport that season at the varsity level. The inaugural
Year | Location | Finish | Top individual (place) |
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1999 | Kings Island • Mason, Ohio | 1st | Jan Dowling (1st) |
2000 | Walden Ponds • Hamilton, Ohio | 1st | Jan Dowling (1st) |
2001 | 1st | Martina Gillen (1st) | |
2002 | 1st | Martina Gillen (1st) | |
2003 | 1st | Verionique Drouin (1st) | |
2004 | 1st | Gabby Wedding (1st) | |
2005 | 1st | Tara Delaney (T-4th) | |
2006 | 1st | Tara Delaney (1st) | |
2007 | Longaberger Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio | 1st | Kira Meixner (1st) |
2008 | Brickyard Course • Indianapolis | 1st | Kirby Dreher (1st) |
2009 | Longaberger Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio | 1st | Mercedes Germino (1st) |
2010 | Hawthorns Golf & Country Club • Fishers, Indiana | 1st | Martina Gavier (1st) |
2011 | Longaberger Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio | 1st | Sarah Bradley (3rd) |
2012 | Hawthorns Golf & Country Club • Fishers, Indiana | 1st | Mercedes Germino (3rd) |
2013 | Longaberger Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio | 1st | Jennifer Ha (1st) |
2014 | Hawthorns Golf & Country Club • Fishers, Indiana | 1st | Jennifer Ha (1st) |
2015 | Shaker Run Golf Club • Lebanon, Ohio | 1st | Josee Doyon (1st) |
2016 | Purgatory Golf Club • Noblesville, Indiana | 1st | Wad Phaewchimplee (T-4th) |
2017 | Silver Lake Country Club • Silver Lake, Ohio | 1st | Michaela Finn (1st) |
2018 | Naperville Country Club • Naperville, Illinois | 1st | Pimnipa Panthong (1st) |
2019 | Purgatory Golf Club • Noblesville, Indiana | 1st | Karoline Stormo (1st) |
2020 | Silver Lake Country Club • Silver Lake, Ohio | Canceled due to coronavirus pandemic | |
2021 | Silver Lake Country Club • Silver Lake, Ohio | 1st | Caley McGinty (1st) |
2022 | Stone Oak Country Club • Holland, Ohio | 1st | Chloe Salort (2nd) |
2023 | Kalamazoo Country Club • Kalamazoo, Michigan | 1st | Leon Takagi (1st) |
2024 | Pinnacle Golf Club • Grove City, Ohio | 1st | Hester Sicking (T-1st), Leon Takagi (T-1st) |
Totals: 25 MAC Championships; 21 MAC medalists |
NCAA tournament
Kent State has made 23 consecutive appearances in the regional round of the
Year | Round | Location | Finish |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Regional | Kampen Golf Course • West Lafayette, Indiana | 7th |
Championship | El Campeon Golf Course • Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida |
15th | |
2002 | Regional | Forest Akers West Golf Course • East Lansing, Michigan | 9th |
2003 | Regional | Firethorn Golf Course • Lincoln, Nebraska | 2nd |
Championship | Kampen Golf Course • West Lafayette, Indiana | T-19th | |
2004 | Regional | Firethorn Golf Course • Lincoln, Nebraska | 20th |
2005 | Regional | The Rawls Golf Course • Lubbock, Texas | 11th |
2006 | Regional | The Traditions Club • Bryan, Texas | T-6th |
Championship | Ohio State University Golf Club Scarlet Course • Upper Arlington, Ohio | 21st | |
2007 | Regional | University of Michigan Golf Course • Ann Arbor, Michigan | 10th |
2008 | Regional | University of Texas Golf Club • Austin, Texas | 14th |
2009 | Regional | Ohio State University Golf Club Scarlet Course • Upper Arlington, Ohio | 12th |
2010 | Regional | Otter Creek Golf Course • Columbus, Indiana | 8th |
Championship | Country Club of Landfall • Wilmington, North Carolina | 22nd | |
2011 | Regional | Warren Golf Course • South Bend, Indiana | 14th |
2012 | Regional | Penn State Blue Course • State College, Pennsylvania | 16th |
2013 | Regional | Stanford University Golf Course • Palo Alto, California | 12th |
2014 | Regional | Karsten Creek Golf Club • Stillwater, Oklahoma | 10th |
2015 | Regional | Warren Golf Course • South Bend, Indiana | 9th |
2016 | Regional | The Traditions Club • Bryan, Texas | 8th |
2017 | Regional | The Rawls Course • Lubbock, Texas | 6th |
Championship | Rich Harvest Farms • Sugar Grove, Illinois | T-5th | |
2018 | Regional | TPC Harding Park • San Francisco | 5th |
Championship | Karsten Creek Golf Club • Stillwater, Oklahoma | T-5th | |
2019 | Regional | Forest Akers West Golf Course • East Lansing, Michigan | 1st |
Championship | Blessings Golf Club • Fayetteville, Arkansas | 19th | |
2021 | Regional | Ohio State University Golf Club Scarlet Course • Upper Arlington, Ohio | 5th |
Championship | Grayhawk Golf Club • Scottsdale, Arizona | 17th | |
2022 | Regional | Vanderbilt Legends Club • Franklin, Tennessee | 10th |
2023 | Regional | University of Georgia Golf Course • Athens, Georgia | 10th |
2024 | Regional | Spanish Trail Country Club • Spring Valley, Nevada | |
23 NCAA regional round appearances 1 regional championship 8 championship round appearances |
Championship round qualifying finishes shaded in ██ light yellow.
Head coaches
Name | Years | Seasons | Events | Team titles | MAC titles | NCAA appearances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Morrow | 1998–2013 | 15 | 166 | 31 | 14 | Regional: 12 Championship: 4 |
Herb Page | 2013 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | Regional: 1 |
Greg Robertson | 2013–2019 | 6 | 68 | 26 | 6 | Regional: 6 Championship: 3 |
Lisa Strom | 2019–2021 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 1 | Regional: 1 Championship: 1 |
Casey VanDamme | 2021–present | 3 | 35 | 4 | 3 | Regional: 3 |
Awards
The Mid-American Conference has four awards, which are selected at the conference championship: Sportswoman of the Year, Golfer of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year, along with the first team all-MAC, second team all-MAC, and all-tournament team. Sportswoman of the Year is selected by fellow players, while the other awards and honorary teams are selected by a vote of the head coaches. Pimnipa Panthong became the first player in conference history to win both the Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, claiming both in 2017.[11]
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Facilities
The team's home course is Windmill Lakes Golf Club, located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Kent in Ravenna, which has also been used by the men's golf team since 1978. Windmill Lakes is a par 70 course measuring 6,936 yards (6,342 m). It is mainly used for practices and while it has yet to be used for a women's golf tournament, it has hosted occasional men's tournaments, including the Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championships in 1984 and 1993 and the FirstEnergy Intercollegiate as recently as 2008.[17][18]
The main training facility for both KSU golf teams is the
Notable alumni
- LPGA Futures Tour from 2003 to 2005; collegiate head coach since 2010[20]
References
- ^ "Our Brand | Kent State University". Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Women's Golf Record Book (PDF). Kent State University. 2016. pp. D5–D7. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
- ^ "Ferrara & Page Golf Training and Learning Facility". KentStateSports.com. Kent State University. 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
- ^ Kent State University (July 1, 2019). "Kent State names Lisa Strom women's golf coach". Record-Courier. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ Temesi, Lisa J.M. (February 8, 1995). "Women's sports expansion in future". Daily Kent Stater. Vol. 76, no. 14. p. 6. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ Patsko, Scott (December 1, 1995). "Kent State may add up to three new women's sports in next year". Daily Kent Stater. Vol. 78, no. 53. p. A5. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ Sansone, Eric K. (July 16, 1997). "Athletics works for Title IX compliance". Daily Kent Stater. Vol. 81, no. 5. p. 5. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ Putrich, Gayle S. (September 10, 1998). "Kent State golf gets a boost of girl power". Daily Kent Stater. Vol. 83, no. 7. p. 11. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ Gannon, Patrick (August 26, 1998). "First season for women's golf". Summer Kent Stater. Vol. 82, no. 11. p. 6C. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ Putrich, Gayle S. (September 15, 1998). "Women draw first blood". Daily Kent Stater. Vol. 83, no. 9. p. 7. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Mid-American Conference Women’s Golf Record Book (PDF). Mid-American Conference. 2017. p. 6. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ "Morrow steps down during 15th season at Kent State". Golfweek. January 28, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ Moff, Allen (May 14, 2013). "Kent State selects Purdue's Robertson to lead women's golf program". Record-Courier. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ Florjancic, Matthew (May 23, 2017). "Kent State women's golf advance to match play of NCAA Tournament". WKYC.com. WKYC. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ "Kent State women's golf makes history, ties for fifth at NCAA Championships". Record-Courier. May 24, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ "Kent State earns 18th straight MAC women's golf title". Mid-American Conference. April 24, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
- ^ Men's Golf 2011–12 (PDF). Kent State University. 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ "Men's Golf Finishes Fifth at FirstEnergy Intercollegiate". GoZips.com. University of Akron. April 27, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ "Ferrara & Page Golf Training and Learning Facility". Kent State University. July 18, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "Jan Dowling Bio". University of Michigan. Retrieved June 7, 2017.