VIDEO: Suzanne Strudwick Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman women's golf team will compete in a quartet of events during the fall slate, as announced by head coach Suzanne Strudwick on Friday.
Strudwick's team looks to make improvements from the 2017 season with a trio of new faces and most of its talent returning except for career standout Elizabeth England who graduated in the spring.
"We have a tremendous amount of talent still on the team and some of the freshmen that really showed a lot of promise that were big factors for us," Strudwick assessed.
Experienced competitors in senior Taylor Hayes (Lake Ozark, Mo.) and junior Reagan Kinnie (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) make their returns to the team this year in hopes of taking that top spot on the team. Also vying for the spot will be last season's junior walk-on Anna Davenport (Roswell, Ga.) and rising sophomore Jayla Sims (Hixson, Tenn.).
The autumn portion of the 2018-19 season will take the Eagles to two new events outside of the Volunteer State. Those road trips will sandwich a pair of events in Tennessee that are familiar tournaments the Eagles have fared well in during the past two years.
The season kicks off with a challenging trip to Carmel, Ind. for the fourth-annual University of Indianapolis Invitational, hosted by the reigning national champion Greyhounds, on September 10 and 11.
"For me, playing in that event and getting that invite this year is huge," Strudwick said. "It's going to be stacked with top-20 teams. We've only got a week's practice before we go there so I'm really hoping that I've communicated enough to the girls that you've got to come in ready because there is no preseason here. We're playing our toughest event right off the bat."
The season then takes a familiar turn for the Orange and Blue as the team makes its third straight appearance at the King Invitational in Bristol, Tenn. Strudwick's squad will be looking to defend back-to-back titles in the event. What's more, a Carson-Newman Eagle was the top performer in both of those wins with England retaining her title last year.
"Obviously, I want one of our girls to step up and do the same thing," Strudwick said. "Playing on home turf almost is a tremendous asset. The kids get to stay, we get to commute on campus and so I'm sure King doesn't like it but we sure like it."
A month-long hiatus will prepare the group for the Women's Music City Invitational, hosted by Trevecca Nazarene, at the Old Hickory Golf Club just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Last year's first-ever appearance in the event resulted in a second-place finish for C-N, 20 strokes behind a top-ranked UIndy squad.
"There are teams there we never face," Strudwick mentioned. "We would face them when we play in the national championship so that's the advantage – see what's out there."
The fall will close just a week later as the Eagles take flight to Jekyll Island, Ga. for the Jekyll-O-Lantern Intercollegiate, hosted by fellow South Atlantic Conference teams Lincoln Memorial and Coker.
"Coming and playing the last one is going to see where we are, we would have gained momentum so hopefully we're right on form," Strudwick said. "Let's see where we are in that big conference tournament and then we've got the rest of the winter to really work on some things."
Full recaps and results from each event can be found following the conclusion of each day of competition on cneagles.com.
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Sept. 10-11 |
UINDY Invitational |
Prairie View Golf Club |
Carmel, Ind. |
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Sept. 24-25 |
King Invitational |
Country Club of Bristol |
Bristol, Tenn. |
|
Oct. 22-23 |
Women's Music City Invitational |
Old Hickory Golf Club |
Nashville, Tenn. |
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Oct. 29-30 |
Jekyll-O-Lantern Intercollegiate |
Jekyll Island Golf Club |
Jekyll Island, Ga. |