Northwestern University Athletics
Season Recap: 'Cats Conclude Year With Strong NCAA Regional Showing
6/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
June 22, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the past seven years under Head Coach Chris Regenberg, Northwestern's women's golf team has been a model of consistency. While the 'Cats have earned an NCAA berth six out of those seven years, the successes of 2005-06 suggest that the upcoming year could be the one where the 'Cats finally make it over the hump.
Heading into the season, all eyes were on junior Alice Kim, last year's leader in stroke average. Kim did not disappoint, lowering her stroke average by almost a shot to 74.65 and claiming four different top-10 finishes.
While consistently being in the hunt for a tournament victory, Kim never quite came out on top -- until this year, that is. Shooting a career-best round of 68 in the opening round, Kim never looked back at the Big Ten Championships, leading the tournament wire-to-wire to earn the first individual crown of her career at one of the biggest collegiate events.
Playing with what Regenberg described as "a calm sense of confidence," Kim set or tied some records along the way to her groundbreaking victory. Her 36-hole total of 4-under 140 set a 36-hole Big Ten Championships record, and she tied the 54-hole mark with a 2-under 214. Kim also made her mark on the Northwestern history books, as she became the first Wildcat to win the Big Ten women's golf individual crown. Kim's best season earned her second-team All-Big Ten honors.
"It was a great accomplishment for Alice, and it should really give her some tremendous confidence heading into here senior season," said Regenberg.
One of the biggest questions the 'Cats had heading into 2005-06 was who would replace Ina Kim, one of the best Northwestern women's golfers in the program's 14-year history. Freshman Jennifer Hong wasted little time showing that she would be able to fill this void.
In her very first tournament, the Mary Fossum Invitational, Hong finished in a first-place tie. Her 4-over 220 total put her into a playoff with Kent State's Becky Wood. Wood's par on the first playoff hole gave her the tournament victory, but this initial success was only a sign of things to come, as Hong would earn two other top-10 showings and finish second on the team with a 75.58 scoring average.
Northwestern's success did not end with these two, as the three other regulars in the Wildcat lineup provided some excellent finishes and vital depth to ensure the team's success.
In her sophomore campaign Brittany Johnston joined Kim and Hong with rounds in the 60's, shooting a 69 during the second round of the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational. Coupled with an opening 76 and a finishing 73, Johnston earned herself a second-place finish, the best finish of her career. Johnston finished third on the team with a 77.16 scoring average. Katie Trachok saved some of her best golf for the end of the season.
Battling an illness that forced her to withdraw from the first two rounds of the Big Ten Championships, Trachok came out firing in the final round. Her final-round 76 led the 'Cats to the clubhouse on a day where the tough conditions led to a 79.94 scoring average for the entire field. Heather Scholten, like all of her fellow upperclassmen, lowered her scoring average to 77.71 from 78.59. Northwestern's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient, Scholten tied for second on the 'Cats in top-20 finishes with two, with her best finish coming in the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational (12th).
The individual accomplishments translated into team success for the Wildcats. With three different 'Cats posting their year's best finish, Northwestern ran away with the team title at the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational. The closest competition came from Big Ten rival Michigan, which finished 18 shots behind the victorious 'Cats. Northwestern posted four other top-five team finishes throughout the course of the season, including a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.
As a reward for their solid regular season play, the 'Cats garnered a spot in the NCAA Central Regional Championships. Despite a No. 16 seeding, the Wildcats showed that they would be a threat to take one of the top eight spots and advance to the NCAA Championships.
Playing at The Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas, Northwestern fired the sixth-best team round each of the first two days, shooting back-to-back 20-over par totals to put themselves in sixth place with only 18 holes to go. The 'Cats could not hold off the hard-charging competition and finished the 54-hole event in 10th place, seven shots away from advancing to the NCAA Championships. Kim and Hong led the way for the Wildcats, as both finished with 12-over 228 totals.
With all five starting regulars returning from this near-miss, the 'Cats are anxious to start the 2006-07 campaign and pursue the program's second NCAA Championships berth.
"With some improvement in everyone's game, this team is very capable of landing a spot in the NCAA Championships," says Regenberg. "We all have high expectations for next year."
