2008 Tommie Women's Golf preview

The St. Thomas women's golf team is ranked seventh in the Division III national preseason poll. UST is looking to make the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in eight seasons and claim the conference title for the eighth year in a row.

Coach Sara Evens' team finished in third place at last weekend's 25-team UW-Eau Claire Invitational -- the first of five fall competitions. UST was just five strokes out of the lead after day one but finished 15 shots behind No. 3-ranked Gustavus and 16 behind No. 12-rated Wartburg in the 36-hole event. The Toms beat No. 8-ranked UW-Stevens Point and No. 14-rated UW-Eau Claire, No. 23 Carleton and No. 25 Macalester. Most of those teams will compete again Sept. 6-7 at the Wartburg Invite.

Since Evens was hired as coach in January 2004 through spring 2008, St. Thomas is 12-13 in head-to-head tournament play vs. rival Gustavus.

The Toms had three key graduation losses -- All-American Holly Noble, two-time All-MIAC player Laura Klatt, and Katie Potts. And UST's Katie Mich is on study abroad this fall and will return for the spring season.

Junior All-American and MIAC medalist Laura Heck leads seven returners for the Tommies. Juniors Amy Anderson, Stephanie Kreb and Kelly Westerham and seniors Stephanie Hird and Megan Owens are others who played last season.

Division I transfer Chelsa Dooley of Cincinnati in one of three newcomers on the roster. The Willmar native averaged 80.1 over 27 rounds as a freshman at Cincy in 2005-2006 and was ranked first in the state in 2005 with a 73.3 average as a prep senior at Kerkhoven-Murdoch-Sundberg High.

Freshmen Shannon Richter of Concordia Academy and Sasha John of Sauk Centre round out the roster.

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