Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Monday, March 29
Hot Springs, AR
Middle Tennessee
at
UALR Women's Classic
Women's golf preps for busy week
3/28/2010 3:54:00 PM | Women's Golf
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Despite the presence of three freshmen earning regular playing time, the Middle Tennessee women's golf team has been impressive in the first half of the spring season, and the Blue Raiders will look to continue that success this week with two three-round events in a span of seven days.
Middle Tennessee will start off the week at the UALR Women's Classic, an event in which the Blue Raiders have competed in each of the previous four seasons. It also will be a preview of sorts for the Sun Belt Conference Championships in April as four other conference teams will be in the playing field.
"It gives us an early look at how we match up against those teams," said Head Coach Chris Adams. "We've been going down there for the past few years, and it's a very challenging golf course. Karisa Akin, Morgan Hale and Clara Leathers are familiar with the course. I think our confidence level is pretty high right now, and I like our chances."
The field features four teams ranked higher than Middle Tennessee, including conference opponent and host Arkansas-Little Rock. Oral Roberts is the highest ranked team in the field, and the Golden Eagles finished just one stroke better than the Blue Raiders earlier this season at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate.
"There are four teams that are ranked higher than us, so it's going to be a tough field," said Adams. "It's a tough course, and we just need to go out and play hard."
Following the completion of the UALR Women's Classic on Tuesday, the Blue Raiders will head to Oxford, Miss. for the 2010 Rebel Intercollegiate, which features the toughest field that Middle Tennessee will face this season. Of the 21 teams in the event, 15 are rated among the top 100 and five are in the top 50.
"It's a great field," explained Adams. "It's an opportunity for us to go to an SEC event and play some of the best teams in the country. It's a pretty good test, especially with the conference championships right around the corner."
Individually, the Blue Raiders have been led by Morgan Hale. The junior had one of the best tournaments in Blue Raider history with a 215 earlier this season at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate, earning her Middle Tennessee's first Sun Belt Golfer of the Month award since 2005.
"Morgan has one of the best golf swings I've seen," said Adams. "Her confidence drives her game, and now that she's had a couple good tournaments, she's starting to believe in herself even more."
Middle Tennessee will tee off at the UALR Women's Classic on Monday morning, and daily recaps will be available at GoBlueRaiders.com.
Players Mentioned
Season Preview - MTSU Women's Golf
Monday, January 26
True Blue Testimonials - Women’s Golfer Caroline Pardue
Tuesday, November 25
2025 NCAA Women of the Year - Top 30 Honoree - MTSU Women's Golfer Abbie Lee
Thursday, October 23
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
