Feb. 27 – Southern Utah University’s women’s golf team plays the third tournament and fourth event of its spring schedule next week when the Thunderbirds compete at BYU’s Dixie Classic, Tuesday and Wednesday at Entrada Golf Course in St. George, Utah.

This week’s tournament will be held at Entrada Golf Course in St. George, Utah. Scheduled to compete for the Thunderbirds are freshmen Candra Sumedhatip, Mandi Incorvaia, Morgan Kerber and Sarah Turner as well as sophomore Whitney Walker.

Teams expected to compete include SUU, Colorado State, Texas Tech, Idaho State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Portland State, Redlands, Utah Valley State, Weber State, Wyoming and the host Cougars. Two the the teams, BYU and Texas Tech, are currently ranked among the nation’s top-50 programs, with the Cougars 36th and the Red Raiders 46th.

As with all of SUU’s women’s tournaments this year, this will be the team’s first appearance at the tournament.

Thunderbird Leaders: Incorvaia currently leads the SUU team with a stroke average of 84.7, followed by Sumedhatip, who checks in at 85.2. Sumedhatip paced the team at the season-opening LaQuinta Mountain Shootout in Flagstaff, Ariz. and at the Bronco Fall Invitational, while Incorvaia finished tops among T-Birds at the MDA Invitational, co-led the team at the Lampkin Cup and has been the Thunderbirds’ top finisher in all three spring events. Korber – who led the team along with Incorvaia at the Lampkin Cup, was second among T-Birds at the Red Rocks Invitational and has been third on the squad at the other events – has an average of 88.3, while Walker checks in at 93.0. Cyera Jensen, who has played in just two tourneys, has a stroke average of 100.6, while Turner, who played her first tourney at the Lady Braveheart, checks in at 102.0 and Torgersen is at 108.2.

The Coach: Richard Church (Utah ‘89) is in his eighth season as head golf coach and his 12th on the staff at Southern Utah. Prior to taking over the program from former Coach John Evans, Church spent four seasons as the Thunderbirds’ assistant coach. During his tenure on the SUU staff, Church has coached five academic all-Americans, one Mid-Continent Conference medalist, two Mid-Con runner-ups and the University’s first NCAA post-season competitor in golf. He has also seen the team finish second in the league four times since SUU began competing in the Mid-Con in 1997-98. Church is assisted by Jessica Thomas (Weber St. ‘07)

Last Time Out: Southern Utah rallied from a 15 point deficit on the second day of play to get past Utah Valley State 268-255 in a modified Stableford System golf match. The match, which was played in conjunction with the Utah WinterChamps tournament, was held at Bloomington Country Club on Saturday and Coral Canyons Golf Course on Sunday.

SUU’s Mandi Incorvaia finished tops among the collegiate competitors (and third overall), firing a two-round total of 63 under a system which awarded six points for an eagle, four points for a birdie, two points for a par and one point for par scores.

UVSC’s Echo Thatcher was second, at 62, followed by SUU’s Candra Sumedhatip and UVSC’s Abbie Archibald at 58. UVSC’s Ashley McKay was fifth at 55, but SUU had the next three finishers, with Morgan Kerber sixth (51) and Whitney Walker and Sara Turner tied in seventh (48).

Utah Valley’s Kasey Larson was ninth (44), followed by teammate Jade Dickson (36), SUU’s Nikki Torgersen (29) and UVSC’s Sarah Coop (27).

-- SUU --