JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The last tournament of the Carson-Newman women's golf team's fall schedule features the toughest field the Eagles have faced to date in 2014.
Along with host Campbell, High Point and Radford will represent the Big South Conference. Toledo and Old Dominion will be the participations from the Mid-American Conference.
Rutgers from the Big 10, Conference USA's Marshall and Bethune-Cookman who represents the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference round out the eight D-1 teams.
Carson-Newman and Nova Southeastern are the only two teams from Divison-II, completing the 10-team field.
"I really feel as though we are ready for this, but again, I don't want the girls to feel intimidated," coach Suzanne Strudwick said about taking her team to face such a tough field. "I'm hoping that, because there are no expectations with this being our first Division-I excursion, we are not expected to do well as a small, Christian Division II school, but I'm hoping we are the little train that can."
Strudwick's squad for the tournament features a player who has yet to play with the team at a tournament. Junior Rebekah Pruett (Niceville, Fla.) makes her team debut this week and will be playing in her fourth tournament. Two weeks ago at the Guy Harvey Invitational in Florida, Pruett shot the Eagles' third-lowest score.
"She's improved every week at the tournaments I've taken her as an individual, she's done very well. She's placed in the top-five. For me especially, I can see she has had some issues trying to qualify," Strudwick said of the Florida native. "I think she's been placing too much expectation on herself and then put too much pressure. So, I'm hoping the fact that I've just put her in the event and on the team, she will be able to let it and perform."
Joining Pruett will be: senior Danielle Baiunco (Melbourne, Fla.), freshman Elizabeth England (Oakland, Tenn.), junior Meridith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.) and freshman Mikaela Thibodeau (Davie, Fla.). Thibodeau will be making her first appearance since the Etowah Intercollegiate.
"I've got a couple of girls who I am interested to see how they perform, Elizabeth England and Danielle Baiunco," Strudwick said of her two-top performers. "I really feel as though Elizabeth is kind of ready for this. She has done extremely well, won her first individual tournament just into her third week of playing. Danielle has been steadily improving. I've seen tremendous amount of strides, the amount of work she put in this summer. She's just done well every week."
The Fighting Camel Fall Classic will be played at Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek, N.C. The par-72 course stretches 6,625 yards and is set on the Cape Fear River.
Campbell University maintains the Keith Hills Country Club and the course was designed by Ellis Maples.
The Fighting Camels Fall Classic will be a 54-hole tournament starting with 36 holes Monday and concluding with 18 holes Tuesday morning.
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