Erin Fuchik capped off her sophomore season with a 20th-place tying 237 score at the NCAA Super Regional. (Photo courtesy of Drury Sports Information)

Posted: May 04, 2010

Ferris State Women's Golf Claims Seventh Place At NCAA Super Regional

The Ferris State University women's golf team closed out its 2009-10 season with a seventh-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Division II Super Regional One as the Bulldogs carded a team-best 319 score in Tuesday's (May 4) final-round action to post a 969 three-round team score on the par 72, Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Mo.

The Bulldogs, under third-year head coach Mike Mignano, started out in seventh place following Sunday's (May 2) opening-round 328 stroke total and remained in that position through second-round play conducted on Monday (May 3) after generating a 322 score. Ferris State would conclude play with its best score of the regional tournament in Tuesday's (May 4) final round by shooting a 319 to finish with a 969-stroke total (+105). FSU placed five strokes in front of eighth-place Northern Kentucky (974, +110) and six in back of sixth-place Missouri-St. Louis (963, +99) among the nine teams participating.

Despite the solid performance, Ferris State was unable to crack the top three as regional tourney champion Grand Valley State (906, +42), Indianapolis (919, +55), and California, Pa. (926, +62) were the top three in order to qualify for the national tournament. The top three teams to place along with the top three individuals finishers not affiliated with a team at the super regionals advanced to the national championship tournament.

Ferris State was led by freshman Ashley Swanson (Flushing/Flint Powers Catholic Central), who netted a team-best 13th-place tie performance by firing a 233 score (78-79-76=233, +17). She started out final-round play with three straight pars before tallying a pair of birdies on the second nine holes, at the par-four number 11 and the par-four 16th hole to finish four under.

Sophomore Erin Fuchik (Tulsa, Okla./Bishop Kelley) was among four individuals to claim a share of 20th place as she produced a 237-stroke total (79-78-80=237, +21). Fuchik started out strong in Tuesday's final round by either recording a birdie or par in six of the first nine holes and then proceeded to record par on four of the last nine to shoot eight-over par. Fuchik birdied both the par three number two hole and the par four at the ninth green. Sophomore Blaize Baumgartner (Perry), who started at 42nd place entering the final round, moved up into a tie for 34th-place honors as a result of netting a 249 score (85-84-80=249, +33).

Sophomore Bryce Hetchler (Clinton Township/Fraser) tallied a 251 (87-81-83=251, +35), which proved worthy of a three-way tie for 38th place. Hetchler's lone birdie of the day would occur at the 10th hole as she notched a four on the par five. Sophomore Brooke Rodes (Traverse City/West) turned in a 260 score (86-91-83=260, +44) and earned a share of 44th place. Rodes would par six of their first nine holes and turned in pars in four of the remaining nine, which also featured a birdie on the par-four 16th hole.

The NCAA Regional appearance by Ferris State this spring represented the ninth consecutive year in which the Bulldogs qualified for postseason competition.