February 23, 2004

NIU Women's Golf Team Opens 2004 Spring Season By Hosting Springlake, Snowbird Classic

DEKALB, IL - Spring Break is typically a time for students to sit back, relax and take in the new-found sunshine. The Northern Illinois University women's golf team will be hard at work, however, as they travel to Florida to host the sixth annual Springlake Classic on March 5-6, compete in the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational on March 8-9 and host the 18th annual Snowbird Classic on March 11-12.

In all, the Huskie women will play seven rounds of golf in a matter of eight days, as they look to get the 2004 spring season off to a great start.
NIU's golfing sprint opens March 5-6 when the Huskies host the 10-team Springlake Classic. Now in its sixth season, the 36-hole Springlake event was originally conceived because of the widely successful Snowbird Classic.

Comprised from an overflow of teams trying to get into the Snowbird Classic during its first season, the Springlake Classic has now become its own entity and will enter its sixth campaign. The event is being held in Sebring, FL, at the Springlake Country Club and combines opponents from all over the country including West Coast teams Gonzaga and California-Riverside in addition to a host Midwestern schools and Florida-based teams.

"The Springlake Classic has become a great event for us to open the spring season with," head coach Pam Tyska said. "We have schools from all over the country at this first event. Some of the Florida schools are playing their second and third events already, so it will be a challenge for us. We just want to get out there and get comfortable. For some of our players, this is the first green grass they will hit off of since our last event of the fall season, the Huskie Classic (Oct. 5-6)."

Following the completion of their first tournament, the Huskies will hit the road to Orlando, FL, to compete in the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational hosted by Rollins College. One of the nation's top collegiate events, the Huskies finished 13th at last season's event and will look to improve upon that performance this season.

"One great aspect about this tournament is that it will be our first 54-hole event of the year," Tyska said. "Our strength coaches have done a great job of preparing our team for an event like this. We want our girls to be just as strong on the 34th, 35th and 36th holes as they were on the first, second and third holes. Playing 36 holes on the first day of a tournament is challenging, but our team will be ready."

The Huskies wrap up the three-event swing on March 11-12 when they host the 18th annual Snowbird Classic in Tampa, FL. A golfing staple in the Tampa, FL, area over the past-two decades, the Snowbird is being played at the 6,148-yard Pebblecreek Country Club and again features a tremendous field of competitors including Mid-American Conference foes Ball State, Bowling Green and Marshall.

"This will be the largest contingent of MAC schools we will see until the Mid-American Conference Championships," Tyska said. "Again, we have a broad base of schools playing in this season's event. We have some consistent schools who have been here in the past, but we also have schools such as the University of Richmond, who will be making its first appearance."

Tee times for all-three events begin at 8 a.m. (EST).

Sixth Annual Springlake Classic Tournament Field: Northern Illinois, Barry University, California-Riverside, Florida Gulf Coast, Gonzaga, Lynn University, Siena College, St. Leo University, West Florida and Xavier

18th Annual Snowbird Classic: Northern Illinois, Ball State, Bowling Green, Marshall, Baldwin Wallace, Carthage College, The Citadel, Gonzaga, James Madison, John A. Logan, Missouri-Kansas City, Montevallo, Richmond, Southern Illinois, Southern Mississippi, St. Leo, Tusculum, and Western Carolina