Northwestern University Athletics
2003-04 Recap: Wildcats Finish Strong and Earn NCAA Berth
6/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
June 15, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the fourth time in five years, Northwestern made a postseason trip to the NCAA Regional Championships and finished its season on a strong note.
While this year's team fell just eight strokes shy of qualifying for the NCAA National Championships, the 'Cats have set the stage for future seasons. NU will return its entire NCAA starting unit, which included three freshmen, two of whom finished one-two in the Big Ten Freshman of the Year voting.
"I was extremely pleased with the season and the progress we made, especially at the end of the year," said NU Head Coach Chris Regenberg. "The experience this group received at the NCAA Regional will be invaluable to us down the road. If anything, we proved to ourselves that we're not that far away from being a top-20 or top-25 program. Now we need to make that next jump and get one year better."
The Wildcats were led by their freshmen tandem of Alice Kim (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood) and Kelly Robb (Concord, Mass./Middlesex School). Kim edged Robb in the Big Ten Freshman of the Year voting, but it was Robb who ended the season as NU's leader in stroke average (77.53). Kim, however, led the team with three top-10 finishes, including a second-place showing at the Purdue Lady Boilermaker.
"Alice and Kelly are two of the most talented players we've had in this program," says Regenberg. "They, along with Heather Scholten, give us a solid foundation for our future."
But don't forget about NU's upperclassmen, says Regenberg. Junior Ina Kim (Encino, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) was one of Northwestern's keys to its late-season success, as she posted her best three finishes in the last three tournaments. She registered a season-best 17th-place effort at the NCAA Regional.
Junior Mary Ellen Grzebien (Saunderstown, R.I./Narragansett) placed 14th at the Big Ten Championships and is capable of top-20 finishes on a regular basis.
"Ina and Mary Ellen will be our senior leaders next year, and I'm expecting some great leadership from them," says Regenberg. "They are talented players who will provide some terrific experience next year."
Northwestern's lone graduating senior is Lauren Grzebien (Saunderstown, R.I./Narragansett), the older sister of Mary Ellen and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. She played in seven of the Wildcats' 10 tournaments, with her top finish coming at the Lady Boilermaker.
"We will certainly miss Lauren," says Regenberg. "She has been a key member of this team for four years."
With another talented recruiting class joining an already strong group of returnees in 2004-05, Northwestern is primed for one of its best seasons yet.
"We're certainly excited about the upcoming year," says Regenberg.
