JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman women's golf team will begin the spring portion of its 2014-15 season with two events this week.
In the span of four days, the Eagles will face the Newberry Wolves in a dual match at the Country Club of Newberry and then continue their trek through the Palmetto State for the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate hosted by Tusculum at Cougar Point Golf Club.
The Eagles' squad for the two events will consist of: reigning South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year junior Meridith Hawkins (Knoxville, Tenn.), senior Danielle Baiunco (Melbourne, Fla.), freshman Elizabeth England (Oakland, Tenn.), junior Rebekah Pruett (Niceville, Fla.) and sophomore Jessica Hart (Roanoke, Va.).
"I think that the team I've got, I'm really excited about. They are ready. They have practiced hard and if we can finish in that top-10 placing again, we have beaten some really good regional teams and that would really get us on a good footing," coach Suzanne Strudwick said of the five Eagles that will face stout competition.
Carson-Newman will kick off the 2015 calendar year in its first dual meet since before 2009 against Newberry.
The Eagles have competed in two tournaments this season against the Wolves. At the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate in Sevierville, Tenn., the two teams finished in a tie for fifth-place. At the Etowah Intercollegiate in Etowah, N.C., Newberry finished first, while the Eagles finished one spot behind them in second. That was the tournament in which freshman Elizabeth England (Oakland, Tenn.) picked up the Eagles' first individual tournament win since 2009.
The match will be played at the Country Club of Newberry in Newberry, S.C. The 6,530-yard, par 72 course is the home course of the Wolves.
"I thought about something like this because of the fact that the other teams in all collegiate sports, they play head-to-head. Golf is unusual," Strudwick said the of the dual meet. "This gives us that ability to play a head-to-head against one of our biggest rivals. Our teams are very similar. Our programs are very similar with both of the coaches being a part of the LPGA at the same time. It's fun for us."
On Saturday and Sunday, C-N will compete in the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate hosted by the Tusculum Pioneers. Fifteen teams are scheduled for the tournament, including eight top-50 teams according to Golfstat.com. The Eagles are ranked 43rd according to the website. Fifteen-ranked Florida Southern and No. 21 Limestone are two of the highest ranked teams competing.
Gary Player redesigned the 6,875-yard, par-72 Cougar Point Golf Club that was recently named the South Carolina Golf Course of the Year. The Eagles placed ninth in the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate last season and then sophomore Meredith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.) led the way with a 23rd-place finish.
"I think everyone's golfing bucket list is going to include playing Kiawah Island and the Cougar Point course we play is an outstanding course. It's a target course, resort course, but it's also tricky," Strudwick said. "It's a really good event for us to kick start our year. Last year, we finished in the top-10 and it really got our spring off to a fantastic start and so I'm looking for the same."
Results for all of this week's rounds will be available at cneagles.com and on Twitter at @cnathletics.
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