Shocker women’s golf builds on success

Almost anything can explain one trip to an NCAA golf regional – a strong recruiting class, a group of capable veterans, even one good week.

There is only one explanation for making it twice in a row – that means you belong.

Wichita State’s women’s team, which had never reached the postseason prior to last year, will play in its second consecutive regional as the No. 17 seed beginning Thursday at Lonnie Poole Golf Club in Raleigh, N.C.

Many of the same players who helped the Shockers to the historic achievement in 2014 led the team this season, but there are always doubts before promise is fulfilled. WSU’s regional trips were preceded by Missouri Valley Conference tournament championships.

“It’s been a process, and to win it back-to-back, for lack of a better word, validates us,” WSU coach Tom McCurdy said. “We’re on track and our program is getting better every year. We just keep raising the bar every year.”

The Shockers moved on from last year’s accomplishment almost immediately and had some of the team’s best moments in the fall, finishing in the top four in three of its first four tournaments during September and October.

The Valley tournament represented the first time WSU finished in the top six during the spring season, which began in late February. But the Shockers have been consistent, as each of six returners scored within 1.5 strokes of last season’s average. For four players, there was less than one stroke difference.

“In some ways, this year was really different than last year,” McCurdy said. “What we need to do is maintain that level of consistency from tournament to tournament. We’re fortunate that mid-spring, both last year, and this year, we weren’t really playing well. But the girls got together and we broke everything down at practice. Just the basics.”

Even though no WSU player made a significant scoring leap, the status quo was enough to return the Shockers to the postseason. With one senior, Alejandra Arellano, they’re set up to make more trips.

That was McCurdy’s vision when he got past the first few years of rebuilding a struggling program when he became coach seven years ago. He sensed a turning point when he landed players such as Maria Alejandra Villalobos and Samantha Stewart two years ago.

Those players deepened a roster that included established players Megan Schuetz and Bryce Schroeder, and McCurdy noticed a difference at a practice two years ago.

“We’re just taking an assessment of what the girls can do,” McCurdy said. “Hit a fade, hit a drive, hit it high, hit it low. We had five players on our roster at the time that could do it. That’s when the light turned on that we’re in business now.”

Getting to the postseason will soon change WSU’s immediate goals to winning in the postseason, and the groundwork for that has already appeared.

Freshman Taryn Torgerson, WSU’s only first-year player, was WSU’s highest finisher in the last event before the MVC Tournament, and she followed that with a 73, one off her career best, in the first round of Valley play.

The Shockers can threaten high regional finishes with players who go beyond their previous bests and avoid disastrous rounds.

“We have to finish in the top six (to advance to nationals),” McCurdy said. “We can’t absorb a 78 like we can at the Missouri Valley championship. We’re calling on all the players. They’ve got to show up every single round.”

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Shocker women’s golf builds on success."