GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum women's golf team will open the 2013-14 season this week as the Pioneers make the short trip to Sevierville, Tenn. for the Smoky Mountain Intercollegiate.
The tournament is being held this Monday and Tuesday at the Sevierville Golf Club - Highlands Course, the host site of the 2014 South Atlantic Conference Championship
Tusculum head coach Bob Dibble, who is entering his 17th year with the program, returns four letter-winners from last year's squad that finished runner-up at the 2013 SAC Championship, which was held at the Sevierville Golf Club. Gone are two of the best golfers to come through the program in two-time All-SAC honoree Jillian Corum (graduation) and 2012 SAC Player of the Year Emee Herbert (transferred to NCAA I Coastal Carolina).
Senior Sara Howard has accounted for one of the most consistent careers in program history. The Knoxville, Tenn. native enters her final collegiate season with the third lowest career scoring average in program history (81.08). The South Doyle High School graduate played in all 10 tournaments last year, while posting a 79.70 stroke average, which is the sixth lowest in school history. She finished in the top-20 on six occasions, including five times in the top-10 and one top-five performance.
Howard tied for ninth place at the SAC Championship (78-83-80=241) to earn a spot on the SAC All-Tournament Team. This past summer, she captured medalist honors at the Lexington Amateur Classic (79-79-77=235) and was the only player in the event to shoot in the 70s for all three rounds.
Junior Alec Cunningham has an 83.76 career stroke average, which is tied for the seventh lowest in Tusculum Women's golf history. In 2012-13, the Knoxville, Tenn. product finished fourth on the team with her 83.35 scoring average. The Knoxville Catholic High School alum played in all 10 events where she recorded four top-25 finishes, including two in the top-10.
Sophomores Calley Lawson and Kelly Horrell also return for the Pioneers. Lawson finished fifth on the team with her 85.65 stroke average, which is the seventh lowest by a Tusculum rookie in school history. The Gaithersburg, Md. native (Magruder HS) played in all 10 events and tied for 18th place at the SAC Championship (84-85-85=254).
Horrell, a native of Las Vegas, Nev., appeared in eight tournaments during her rookie season, while posting a 92.13 stroke average. The Bishop Gorman High School graduate finished tied for 39th place at the weather-abbreviated TSYS Collegiate Classic.
Three freshmen will be looked to make contributions to the Tusculum program in their first season in Greeneville, including Lindsay Butler, Taylor Lambertsen and Alex Valeri.
Butler, a native of Milan, Ohio, was a three-time All-Sandusky Bay Conference selection and a two-time All-Northwest District pick at Edison High School.
Lambertsen, a Palos Park, Ill. product, was a state tournament qualifier during her prep career at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School. She was named her team's most valuable player on two occasions and posted a 38.0 nine-hole stroke average.
Valeri, a native of Kenosha, Wis., garnered All-County and All-Conference accolades four times at George Tremper High School. She was a 2011 state tournament qualifier and was named her team's most valuable player in 2012.
Following next week's action, the Pioneers host the eighth annual Tusculum Fall Classic on Sep. 23-24 at Link Hills Country Club. TC has been victorious in its last three home events at Link Hills, including the 2012 Classic as the Pioneers posted a final round score of 303 to claim its second TC Fall Classic title (2006, 2012).
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