April 26, 2006

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 22 Ohio State women's golf team travels to Bloomington, Ind., for the 2006 Big Ten Women's Golf Championships, April 28-30. The event will be held at the par-72, 6,142-yard IU Championship Golf Course.

The 72-hole tournament will consist of the first and second rounds Friday, followed by the third round Saturday. The final 18-holes will be contested Sunday. Directions to the course and live results can be found at golfstat.com, while recaps and complete results can be found on ohiostatebuckeyes.com. Admission to the event is free.

A Look at The Field
All 11 of the Big Ten schools will be represented at the championships. No. 7 Purdue is the only Big Ten school other than the Buckeyes to be ranked in the Top 25 national ranking by Golfweek. Purdue also is ranked No. 1 in the central region. Ohio State is ranked No. 6.

Ohio State has competed against nine of the Big Ten squads this season. The Buckeyes have won 11 of the 16 match ups. Iowa is the only team Ohio State has not competed against.

Going For Five
The Buckeyes have their sights set on consecutive Big Ten title No. 5 and the 12th overall when they compete in the Big Ten tournament April 28-30 in Bloomington, Ind.

"I really think we're going to be a contender," Therese Hession, who has coached the Buckeyes to seven conference titles in 15 years, said. "I have no doubt about it. Even with as many new players that might make the lineup, the championship isn't until the end of April and we'll have a lot of time to work and develop their games. I think the tournament will be an interesting shootout and I'm interested in getting out and playing with them (the league) to see how we stack up."

Ohio State Hosts 2006 NCAAs
Ohio State will host the 2006 NCAA Women's Golf Championships May 23-26. The four rounds of competition will be held on the Ohio State University Scarlet Course.

Each round will cost $10, while an all-session pass is available for $20. Practice rounds will have no charge. A complete schedule is available at ohiostatebuckeyes.com. For tickets please visit hangonsloopy.com or call 1-800-GO-BUCKS.

Noting The Buckeyes
Dana Je has competed in all 26 round this season ... currently owns the lowest scoring average on the squad (75.7) ... notched low round of 71 three times this season ... most recent time was during the final round at the Lady Buckeye, April 23 ... best finish in the individual standings was a tie for fifth at the Peg Barnard Collegiate, April 8-9.

Carling Coffing has competed in all 26 rounds the Buckeyes have played this season ... she has an average of 76.4 ... Coffing's low score of 71 and her best finish (T11th) came Oct. 8 at the Lady Tar Heel.

Stephanie Connelly missed only one tournament for the Buckeyes this season ... has the second-lowest average on the team (75.7) ... recorded a 71 at the Central District Invitational (Feb. 20), her lowest score this season ... at the Northrop Grumman, Feb. 13-15, Connelly tied for eighth, her best finish this season.

Brittany Adams played 20 rounds during the regular season ... has an average of 77.3 ... best round (73) came at the Lady Buckeye Invitational, April 22 ... tied for 22nd at the Peg Barnard Collegiate, April 8-9, for her best showing this year.

Gemma Webster has notched 18 rounds of play ... her current average is 77.6 ... recorded a 71 in her opening round as a Buckeye at the Dick McGuire Invitational, Sept. 26 ... finished the Central District Invitational (Feb. 20-21) tied for 20th, her best finish this season.

Jennifer Selfinger played in six rounds for the Buckeyes this season ... at the Lady Buckeye Invitational, competing as an individual, Selfinger had her best finish this season, tying for seventh ... she also had her best round (70) during the event.

Recalling 2005
Although the 2005 Big Ten Women's Golf Championships were cut short because of snow accumulation, the Buckeyes managed to record their fourth straight Big Ten title. The event, held in Ann Arbor, Mich., was reduced to 54-holes. Ohio State finished with a mark of 900, claiming the team title by 32 strokes. The win set a league record for the most consecutive wins. It was Ohio State's 11th Big Ten title since the conference began sponsoring the championships for women.

The Buckeyes swept the top three individual awards at the tournament, as well. Kristen White earned medalist honors with a score of 222. Lindsay Knowlton was three strokes behind for second-place. Jennifer Selfinger followed in third with 226.

Fifth-Place Finish at Lady Buckeye
Ohio State finished fifth of 14 teams at the Lady Buckeye Invitational, April 22-23. The event was held at the Golf Club of Dublin while The Ohio State Scarlet Course is being renovated.

Carling Coffing had the best finish for the Buckeyes. She shot 221 to tie for 13th. Dana Je had the lowest round for the Buckeyes. She notched a 1-under-par (71) during the third round. Brittany Adams tied her lowest round this season with a 73 in round one.

Jennifer Selfinger, who competed as an individual for the Ohio State Gray squad, was the lowest Buckeye competitor. She tied for seventh after recording a three-round total of 219.

Je Earns Co-Conference Honors
Dana Je earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week accolade following a fifth-place tie at the Peg Barnard Collegiate. The invitational was at the par-72 Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif., April 8-9. Je, a junior from Orlando, Fla., shot a two-round total of 146. It was her best tournament finish all season. The ranking was the highest finish by a Buckeye this season. Her opening round score of one-under-par (71) tied her lowest round this season. Je shared conference honors with Amber Weinerth of Penn State.

Getting Better With Age
Ohio State has steadily improved since the beginning of the spring season. The team opened the second-half of the year with the Northrup Grumman, finishing with a 307.67 average in the three rounds contested. At the Central District, the Buckeyes improved their average to 302.33, while at the Cal Invitational, they lowered their average to 301.33.

A Look at the Stats
After competing in nine tournaments this season, Ohio State has compiled a record of 81-49-1. Only Dana Je and Carling Coffing have played all 26 rounds. Stephanie Connelly follows, playing in 23 rounds this season.

Jennifer Cassidy shot a 69 at the Dick McGuire Invitational, the lowest individual round recorded by a Buckeye thus far. Je has finished highest on the leaderboard, tying for fifth at the Peg Barnard Collegiate April 9. She also has the lowest scoring average (75.7) on the team.

In the Golfweek Rankings
Following three fall tournaments and five spring invitationals, the Buckeyes find themselves No. 22 nationally. Duke tops the national rankings, followed by UCLA. In the central region rankings, Ohio State is No. 6 with Purdue at No. 1.

Connelly Named Golfer of the Week
Stephanie Connelly earned the first Big Ten Player of the Week accolade for 2006 after finishing tied for eighth at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Feb. 13-15. Connelly, a freshman, shot 224 at the event in Palos Verdes, Calif. She opened the invitational with a score of 80 (+9), but returned the following two days to shoot a season-best one-over-par (72) to finish the event in the Top 10. The eighth-place finish also was the highest Connelly has finished in a tournament all season.

Buckeyes Take Fourth at Peg Barnard
Ohio State finished fourth of 14 teams at the Peg Barnard Collegiate in Stanford, Calif., April 8-9. The Buckeyes totaled 601.

Dana Je and Brittany Adams each tied their lowest score. Their finish was each woman's highest at a tournament this season. Je shot 71 in round one to contribute to her tie for fifth place (146). Adams closed out the tournament with a low-round score of 74, finishing tied for 16th.

Seventh of 18 at Liz Murphey
The Buckeyes finished seventh of 18 teams at the Liz Murphey Invitational at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga., March 24-26. Recording a score of 928 on the par-72 course, Ohio State improved from a 314 opening round to 307 for the final two rounds.

Stephanie Connelly shot the Buckeyes' lowest round of the tournament (72). She recorded 226, only five strokes behind the tournament medalist. She tied for 12th.

Eighth-Place Finish at Cal Invite
The Buckeyes finished the Cal Invitational in eighth place in Guadalajara, Mexico, March 6-8. Totaling 904 at the par-72 Guadalajara Country Club, the Buckeyes shot 292 during the final round to record the second-lowest round of the season.

Dana Je had the best individual showing for the Ohio State squad. She recorded 222 to finish the tournament tied for 17th. Ohio State finished ahead of both No. 25 Washington and No. 16 Stanford.

OSU Second at Central District
At the Central District Invite in Parrish, Fla., Feb. 20-21, the Buckeyes finished second after three rounds. The Buckeyes totaled 907 (301+308+298) at the par 72 River Wilderness Golf Club. The Buckeyes shot their third-lowest round of the season, 298 (+10), to pull ahead of Southern Methodist during the final round of play.

Stephanie Connelly and Dana Je tied for 11th with 226 strokes to take top honors for the Scarlet and Gray. Gemma Webster and Carling Coffing joined Connelly and Je among the Top 25 individuals, tying for 20th and 24th, respectively.

Northrop Grumman
Ohio State finished the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Feb. 13-15, 10th of 14 teams. The team shot 307 during the final round to total 923 (314-302-307=923) at the par 71 Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes, Calif.

Stephanie Connelly shot 72 (+1), the lowest round recorded for the Buckeyes at the tournament, during the final two rounds of competition. She finished the tournament with a score of 224 (80-72-72=224) to lead the team with a tie for eighth place. Dana Je followed Connelly in the standings, finishing tied for 26th with a 230 (75-77-78=230).

Mercedes-Benz Championship
In Ohio State's final tournament before the winter break, the Buckeyes tied for 11th of 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. The team shot 920 over the three-day competition, recording its lowest round (302) on the second day of competition.

Freshman Stephanie Connelly was the top finisher for the Scarlet and Gray, finishing the event tied for 18th. Connelly shot the team's lowest round of the tournament, 74 (+3), on the second day. She had or tied the lowest score of the team every round of competition (77-74-75=226).

The Lady Tar Heel
In the second tournament of the season, Ohio State traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the Lady Tar Heel Invitational.

Finishing 7th of the 17 teams, the Buckeyes shot a total of 905. Carling Coffing was the highest finisher for the Buckeyes. She tied for the No. 11 spot (221). Coffing also had the best round of the tournament for OSU, recording a 71 (-1) in the second round of the event.

Season Opener in New Mexico
Ohio State opened the 2005-06 season Sept. 26-28 with a trip to Albuquerque, N.M., for the UNM Dick McGuire Invitational. The Buckeyes finished the three-day event fifth (886).

Ohio State tied for the tournament's low round, with a 287 in the opening round. Pepperdine, the tournament champion, tied the 287 in the final day of the event.

Jennifer Cassidy, a freshman from Dalton, Ga., led the Buckeyes throughout the competition. She recorded Ohio State's lowest round (69) on the opening day of play. She finished the event tied for sixth, after shooting 2-under par (217).

A Facelift
This year will bring a new challenge to the Buckeyes at home as the Scarlet Course is renovated throughout the year. The changes will bring a new feel to the old course, first built in 1938. Accuracy will be a key to success along with length off the tee. The greens have been expanded to bring the bunkers closer and allow only a small margin of error in the short game. Head coach Therese Hession believes it will pose one of the toughest challenges the student-athletes have ever seen. Currently, the Scarlet Course is ranked among the top college facilities in the nation by Golf Digest. The renovations are expected to move Ohio State's facility up to one of, if not the top spot, nationally. The course is being overseen by Ohio State alum Jack Nicklaus.

The Buckeyes also will benefit from a new practice facility. Current plans indicate more than 22 shots can be practiced on the new pitching area.

"It will be fantastic because the team can really work on their short game," Hession said. "I'm a big believer in that part of the game."

A New Assistant
Amy Langhals rejoins the Ohio State women's golf program this season, returning as the team's new assistant coach. Langhals competed for the Buckeyes from 1993-97.

In her first season with the Scarlet and Gray, Langhals was named the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year after claiming the Purdue Spring Invitational. As a senior, Langhals was instrumental to winning the 1997 Big Ten Championships, walking away with medalist honors. She was named Ohio State's Female Athlete of the Year following the season.

Langhals was a member of the LPGA tour in 2001 and 2002 and competed in two U.S. Women's Open championships in 2001 and 2004.