By Jen Jaeckels on March 2, 2011 11:21 AM | No TrackBacks

Get to know your ICA Staff who make the ASU Athletic Department run. Here is the first of many questionnaires to come from our outstanding staff.

Position at ASU: Associate Head Women's Golf Coach
Alma Mater: Arizona State University
Hometown: Phoenix
College or High School Sports: Played golf for Xavier College Prep and ASU. Was on the 1st NCAA Championship team for ASU golf in 1990.
On my Ipod: John Mayer, Pink, Sugarland and U2
I would love to trade places for a day with... There is no one I really want to change places with but I would give anything to have one more day with my sister.
First Job: Golf pro at Orange Tree Golf Resort
Favorite childhood team: ASU Sun Devils
Hobbies: Baking and hanging out with my kids
Favorite place to visit: The beach in San Diego
On the coffee table: O Magazine, Golfweek and Golf World
What's on TV: Modern Family and NCIS
Bookmarks: thesundevils.com, golfweek.com and Facebook
Most memorable ASU sporting event in person: The 2007 football win over Arizona because I got to watch the game with a bunch of former ASU teammates!
One thing most people don't know about me: My favorite candy is anything with chocolate!

By Jen Jaeckels on July 26, 2010 2:13 PM | No TrackBacks

LPGA Rookie and 2009 ASU graduate Azahara Mu?±oz has made quite an impact in the professional ranks this season. The 22-year-old Spaniard has made every cut in her rookie season and has raked in seven top 20 performances, including two top 10 performances. In fact, she has placed in the top 20 in the past five tournaments. She currently leads the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie Rankings and will compete this weekend at the RICOH Women's British Open. 

By Jen Jaeckels on June 30, 2010 9:12 AM | No TrackBacks

When people hear the term "one and done" in regard to athletes, they instantly think of basketball players. What people don't realize is that it also often applies to college golf.

With ASU's Jennifer Johnson announcing she was turning professional after one year of playing college golf, I began thinking of how common of a trend this has become in the sport. Jennifer had a solid freshman season. While she did not win a tournament, she only placed out of the top 15 once and recorded two top five finishes including a runner-up performance at the NCAA Championship. She tallied a stroke average of 72.41 and garnered several awards including NGCA Freshman of the Year, Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and NGCA First-Team All-American honors.

After doing research on the previous NGCA Freshman of the Year recipients (side note: ASU leads the nation with four), I was astonished to find that only one, Amanda Blumenherst of Duke, had remained in school all four years. In fact out of the 13 Freshman of the Year winners, four turned professional after one year and six waited until their sophomore season to hang up their amateur status. Cydney Clanton, the 2008 winner, is still amateur heading into her junior season at Auburn.

Past NGCA Freshman of the Year Recipients

Year	Player	School	Turned Pro	Yrs of Co. Golf
2010	Jennifer Johnson	ASU	2010	1
2009	Jennifer Song	USC	2010	2
2008	Cydney Clanton	Auburn	Still playing	TBD
2007	Anna Nordqvist	ASU	2008	2.5
2006	Amanda Blumenherst	Duke	2009	4
2005	Louise Stahle	ASU	2005	1
2004	Brittany Lang	Duke	2005	2
2003	Erica Blasberg	Arizona	2004	2
2002	Walailak Satarak	UCI	2002	1*
2001	Lorena Ochoa	Arizona	2002	2
2000	Miriam Nagl	ASU	2000	1
1999	Beth Bauer	Duke	2000	2
1998	Reilly Rankin	Georgia	2001	3^

*Satarak - I could not find when she turned pro, but she did not have any honors after her freshman season.
^ Rankin - She had an interesting situation, which she could not play in 2000 due to an injury, but did play in 2001. This could be considered either her junior (if she planned to redshirt) or senior (if she did not redshirt). Technically speaking, she only played three years of college golf before turning pro.

It is the risk you take when you bring in the finest athletes. ASU baseball goes through the same thing when the draft comes around and takes the top high school players. Virtually every basketball Freshman of the Year enters the draft following their first collegiate season. Jennifer, or JJ as the team fondly nicknamed her, is a great player and kid and we wish her the best in her professional career.

By Jen Jaeckels on June 22, 2010 6:49 PM | No TrackBacks

School may be out but members of the ASU women's golf team are still in action as they have been competing in individual tournaments this summer. This week, several Sun Devils are competing in tournaments across the country and across the globe.

Carlota Ciganda and Giulia Molinaro will be competing at the Ladies British Open. Held at the Ganton Golf Club in Yorkshire, the tournament takes place June 22-26. After the first round of qualifying, Molinaro holds a two-shot lead with a 3-under 70. Ciganda won the event in 2007, defeating former Sun Devil Anna Nordqvist. She was runner-up to ASU alum Azahara Munoz last season.

Juliana Murcia is competing in the Western Women's Golf Amateur, held at the Rochester Golf & Country Club in Rochester, Minn. She qualified for match play after shooting rounds of 70 and 71.

Jennifer Johnson heads to Hammond, Ind., this weekend for the City of Hammond Classic. Playing as an amateur, Johnson will compete in the Duramed Futures Tour event June 25-27.

In the professional tour, Anna Nordqvist will look to defend her title at the LPGA Classic. Nordqvist won the major last season, her first LPGA victory. Former Sun Devils competing include Azahara Munoz, Wendy Ward, Jimin Kang, Brandie Burton, Heather Bowie Young, and Grace Park. Held at the Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y., the tournament runs June 24-27.

Ladies British Amateur
Western Women's Golf Amateur
City of Hammond Classic
Wegman's LPGA Championship

By Jen Jaeckels on May 25, 2010 6:28 PM | No TrackBacks

As we head down the home stretch of the 2009-10 athletic year at Arizona
State University we still have five teams competing for national
championships (baseball, softball, men's and women's track and field and
men's golf).  I thought this note might be some of interest to you.

During the modern era of NCAA-recognized National Championships, ASU has won
22 national titles in eight sports.  They are:

Baseball -- 5
Men's Gymnastics -- 1
Women's Track & Field -- 3
Men's Track & Field -- 2
Wrestling -- 1
Men's Golf -- 2
Women's Golf -- 7
Softball -- 1

This is the fifth-most total in the Pacific-10 Conference:  UCLA (105);
Stanford (99); USC (90); Cal (28); ASU (22); Arizona (17); Oregon (16);
Washington (6); Oregon State (3) and Washington State (2).

During Lisa Love's tenure as Vice President for Athletics at ASU, the Sun
Devils have won six NCAA National Championships (three in women's track &
field and one each in men's track & field, women's golf and softball).  So
27.2 percent (six of 22) of ASU's NCAA-recognized National Championships
have come under the leadership of Lisa as VP for Athletics.

This list does not include the AIAW national titles that many of ASU's
sports teams won in the 1960's and 1970's, nor does it include the badminton
and archery titles that the NCAA never did recognize.

By Jen Jaeckels on May 19, 2010 7:46 AM | No TrackBacks

The ASU women's golf team finished the first round tied for third and we're looking to make a few more birdies today and move up the leaderboard. 

By Jen Jaeckels on May 18, 2010 11:15 AM | No TrackBacks

Today is the big day! The Arizona State women's golf team will begin their quest for their eighth NCAA Championship at 1:25 ET this afternoon. The Sun Devils, who have been in Wilmington since Saturday, have two practice rounds under their belts and plenty of time to adjust to the cross-country trek.

Following the first practice round, the Sun Devils and the rest of the NCAA field headed to the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial for the Welcome Banquet. The U.S.S. North Carolina was used in combat to face the Pacific Theatre during World War II. The team explored the ship prior to dinner and learned about the history and equipment used during its time at sea. For more information on the U.S.S. North Carolina, click here.

The teams enjoyed a Southern dinner of a barbeque chicken, Cajun shrimp, potato salad, macaroni and cheese and a variety of different salads. Not only the athletic director of UNC-Wilmington, but also the university's Chancellor and the Mayor of Wilmington gave introductions and welcome speeches. One of the professors at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington then had the teams on their feet and dancing as he taught them the Southern tradition of "the shag". Check out the video at the bottom of the page to see what I'm talking about. It is evident the community is very excited to host this event, and they have done a spectacular job.  They have a waiting list for volunteers and have gone above and beyond in promoting the NCAA Championship.

The course itself is in great shape. Coach Melissa Luellen has commented numerous times they have done a wonderful job of getting the course in championship shape. Hopefully the tough conditions brought forth at the Central Regional prepared the team for the rest of the week.

Fun Fact: The only other time the Country Club of Landfall has hosted the NCAA Championship was in 1995. Arizona State won its fourth NCAA Championship, and third in a row, that year and Kristel Mourgue d'Algue took home medalist honors.

The weather forecast is great. Other than a few showers this morning, rain is not projected for the rest of the tournament. It certainly is much more humid here than in Arizona.

Following the practice rounds, the girls have been putting down their clubs and picking up a paddle. The team can be found participating in very intense games of ping-pong after dinner each night. Even the coaches have been getting in on the action. Carlota Ciganda looks as though she could take on Forrest Gump at the game.

 That's it for now. Please continue to check out the blog and website for more information on how the team does and inside information. Don't forget to join the team's Facebook page.

Go Devils!

By Jen Jaeckels on April 19, 2010 4:43 PM | No TrackBacks

Anna Nordqvist continues to make a case to be one of the LPGA's best as she took first in the inaugural Mojo 6 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Nordqvist defeated some of the LPGA's top players including Christina Kim and Cristie Kerr. She capped the weekend beating a familiar face, Amanda Blumenherst, whom Nordqvist competed against several times college.  The former Sun Devil defeated the former Blue Devil 1 up to earn $350,000.

The Mojo 6 will be shown on CBS on May 1 and 2. For more information, please visit www.themojo6.com.

By Jen Jaeckels on April 16, 2010 12:14 PM | No TrackBacks

Former Arizona State women's golf star, Anna Nordqvist has made quite a name for herself this past year in the LPGA. After winning the first major tournament of her career, the McDonald's LPGA Championship, Nordqvist turned in eight LPGA top-20 finishes, including a win at the LPGA Tour Championship. Recently, Nordqvist received an invitation to the Mojo 6, a new event in women's golf. The two-time first-team All-American is currently participating in the Mojo 6, which takes place in Jamaica.

The Mojo 6 pits 16 golfers against one another as they battle out a series of six-hole matches to crown a winner; competing on the same six holes throughout the tournament. Players will face new challenges throughout the tournament, as each hole-setup changes after each round, and players must strategize by picking their opponents.

The Mojo 6 will be on CBS on May 1 and 2. For more information, please visit: www.themojo6.com. 

By Jen Jaeckels on January 5, 2010 2:35 PM | No TrackBacks

Three Sun Devil golfers have been recognized as being amongst the decade's best. Spanish NCAA Champions Alejandro Canizares and Azahara Munoz along with former men's standout Niklas Lemke were listed as members of an All Decade Team.

Recent ASU grad Munoz was named one of the decade's top 10 women's collegiate golfers by Golf World's Ryan Herrington. Munoz became ASU's ninth women's golf NCAA Champion after knocking in a 25-foot putt to win a playoff hole over Tiffany Joh in 2008. A four-time All-American, she closed out her career leading the Sun Devils to their seventh, and first in 11 years, NCAA Championship. Munoz was also a stellar student in the classroom and became the first double-winner of the Edith Cummings Munson award, which is given to the All-American with the highest GPA.

Golfweek writer Ron Balicki listed Canizares as one of his top 25 players of the 2000s. Canizares, who won the 2003 NCAA Championship his freshman year, went on to earn four All-American honors and finish with a career average of 71.46. He was twice named Pac-10 Player of the Year and graduated with a 3.87 in interdisciplinary studies.

Balicki additionally listed Niklas Lemke as an honorable mention. A three-time All-American, Lemke finished his senior year with a stroke average of 70.03, which is the third-best in ASU history behind Paul Casey (69.87) and Phil Mickelson (69.95). He was named Pac-10 co-Player of the Year his senior season.

By Jen Jaeckels on November 30, 2009 10:05 AM | No TrackBacks

Three former Sun Devil standout golfers will be heading back to school this week, qualifying school that is. Azahara Munoz highlights the ASU trio that looks to earn their LPGA card.

Munoz finished her ASU career as one of the program's finest student-athletes. A year after winning her own individual NCAA title, the Spaniard, who won her first professional tournament in her home country earlier this year, led the Sun Devils to their first NCAA team championship since 1999. Not only was she a four-time All-American, but Munoz was also NCAA's finest student for two years in a row. Graduating in psychology with a 3.98, she won the Edith Munson Cumming Award, given to the All-American with the highest GPA, two years in a row.

Miriam Nagl will also be aiming to earn her tour card. The 2000 NCAA Freshman of the Year had qualified for the tour in 2001 by finishing tied for 31^st. She had a successful five seasons on the tour before a skiing accident required surgery to repair a torn ACL.

Tiffany Tavee, a 2006 All-American for the Sun Devils, has been playing on the Duramed Futures Tour since turning professional in 2006. She made 11 cuts out of 16 tournaments this past season.

The LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament will begin December 2 and conclude on December 6. It will be held at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. 

By Jen Jaeckels on November 23, 2009 8:08 PM | No TrackBacks

Rookie LPGA golfer and ASU alum Anna Nordqvist has had no problems in her first year on the tour. The 22-year-old Swede, notched her second career-win at the LPGA Tour Championship. Nordqvist, a two-time All-American for the Sun Devils, exploded in the final-round, firing a 65 on the last day. She won by a two-stroke margin to beat out Player of the Year Lorena Ochoa for the title. Earlier in the season, Nordqvist won the McDonald's LPGA Championship for her first career and major victory.