Lady Bulldogs Compete In The SEC Championship
Starkville, Miss. - The 30th ranked Mississippi State women's golf team willcompete in Tunica, Miss. for the 2005 SEC Championship this weekend. Thethree day event will be played at the par 72, 7,210-yard Tunica NationalGolf Course. The tournament will begin Friday, April 15 and run throughSunday, April 17. Tee times for each of the three rounds are set to begin at8:30 a.m.
"The team is excited about playing this year's championship inour own state," said head coach Christi Sanders. "We take a lot ofpositives into the championship coming off a successful regular season."
This year's SEC Championship in Tunica marks the first tournament the LadyBulldogs have played in the Magnolia State since the SEC Championship washeld at Old Waverly Country Club in 1994. The 12 team field in this year'schampionship features six teams in the top 25 and 8 teams in the top 50rankings according to golfweek.
Mississippi State's lineup will feature Amanda Mathis, Beth Irwin, JanetDyer, Stephanie Godare and Julia Huh. The Lady Bulldogs are lead bysophomore Mathis who currently holds a 75.00 stroke average for the2004-2005 season. Mathis comes into this year¹s conference championship withfive top-10 finishes and a win at the Wildcat Invitational last October.
As a team, Mississippi State has finished in the top-10 in seven of theeight tournaments this season. The Lady Bulldogs also have a tournamenttitle under their belt after claiming the Wildcat Invitational in the secondtournament of the fall season. MSU is currently ranked sixth in the leaguein stroke average with a 303.78 average per 18 holes.
In the 2004 SEC tournament held at the University Club in Baton Rouge, La.,Mississippi State shot a 923 to finish in 11th place. Then sophomore Godareled the Lady Bulldogs with a three-round total of 227 and a tie for 31stplace. The team champion was Vanderbilt and May Wood of Vanderbilt took homethe individual title.