The Carl Sandburg College women’s golf team will close its 2022-23 season with a trip to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship next week. Here’s everything you need to know about the Chargers’ trip to nationals.
1. WHEN AND WHERE IS IT?
May 9-12 at Buffalo Dunes in Garden City, Kan. Fans can follow the action at njcaa.org.
2. HOW DID THE CHARGERS QUALIFY?
Sandburg qualified automatically by winning its first-ever Region IV tournament championship in October. The Chargers, who were region runners-up last year, took first place this season by nearly 200 shots and had four of the five members on the All-Region IV Team.
“I’m just glad we’re going,” Sandburg coach Gail Hannam said. “I told the girls we’ve done the hard work. Now go and enjoy it.”
3. WHAT’S THE FORMAT?
The tournament will be 72 holes played over four days. Ten teams and 12 individuals automatically qualified through their district championship. Five additional teams and three additional individuals were selected as wild card entries. In each round, teams can play up to five players, with the best four scores counting toward their team total.
“We have six players and can rotate in and out, so a different five can play every day,” Hannam said. “I have a couple that I’m thinking will play every day, but then I have three that I think I’ll be rotating in. I have no definite No. 1. I have no definite No. 6, so it’ll just be how they’re playing at the time.”
4. HAVE THE CHARGERS BEEN TO NATIONALS BEFORE?
This will be the Sandburg women’s golf team’s second trip to nationals. The Chargers also participated in the 2019 national tournament, placing 11th.
5. MENTAL MARATHON
The national tournament will be the first time the Chargers have played a 72-hole event this season. Hannam said that can take a toll both mentally and physically on the players.
“I think it’ll be hard, having that focus every day, every day, every day,” Hannam said. “Last Thursday was the first day that they actually sat in a cart all spring. I did not let them ride at all this spring. I told him they had to get their legs, and we did work out during the winter in preparation.”
6. FAMILY AFFAIR
Hannam said all the players on the team are expecting to have their families in attendance for the tournament. Hannam will also have her two nieces — Chargers women’s golf alumnae Morgan Newton and Madison Newton — along for the trip as well.
“That’s cool, which is going to be nice,” Hannam said. “I’m looking forward to just having everybody together, and they have great support systems in their families.”
7. COMING IN WITH MOMENTUM
At Sandburg’s last tournament before nationals, the Chargers shot their two lowest rounds of the season at the Viking Invitational last week at Highland Springs in Rock Island. Three Chargers (Lainey Jensen, Anna Duden and Addy Trego) put up career-low rounds in the tournament.
“I don’t think we can expect to have the same type of scores that we had this weekend because the course, I’m sure, will be more difficult, longer and we don’t know it,” Hannam said. “By the time we play the third or fourth day, maybe we’ll know the course a little bit better.”
8. FINAL THOUGHTS
“It’s a great recruiting tool for us. Whatever we do, we can say we went, and I would hope that the girls would come home and say, ‘Yeah, we want to do this again,’” Hannam said. “It’s an experience that they will not forget. It will definitely make them better players. There’s no doubt about that. If they come away from it having a positive experience and being a better player, then I’m happy.”
***Courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***
