11 November 1998 CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, (309) 556-3206
Smallenberger Repeats as IWU Womenâs Golf MVP
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- For the second straight season, Jodi Smallenberger has been named as the ãMost Valuable Playerä for the Illinois Wesleyan University women's golf team.
Smallenberger, who was the Titansâ low scorer in nine of 11 meets this fall and medalist of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin meet, averaged 85.4 strokes over 14 rounds. She had a season-low of 80 in the final round of the CCIW meet and in claiming medalist honors at an 11-team invitational at Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Smallenberger, the team's top finisher in every meet in 1997, was runner-up in the Peoria city tournament this summer.
ãJodi had an outstanding season that was the result of hard work and a great competitive attitude,ä said coach Kathy Niepagen. ãShe enjoys the challenge of playing difficult courses and is a real team leader as a person and as a player.ä
The teamâs lone senior, Jennifer Van Dyke (Waukegan HS), earned the teamâs ãMost Improved Playerä honor. Van Dyke showed steady improvement through her college career, as she pared her stroke average from 109.8 as a sophomore to 107.5 as a junior to 100.3 this season. She had a season-low score of 94 in the Big Blue Classic and again at the Fighting Bee Classic.
ãJenniferâs work ethic and perseverance throughout her career have paid off,ä Niepagen said. ãHer stroke averages have declined every year and she was consistently among our top three players in meets this season.ä
Freshman Melissa McMahon (Minier, Stanford Olympia HS) was the teamâs low scorer in the two meets Smallenberger was not with scores of 89 at both the Knox Invitational and the Carthage Invitational. McMahon was second on the team with a stroke average of 92.1 in 14 rounds and had a season-low of 84 at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational.
In her first season of college golf, sophomore Mandy Watson (Normal, Community HS) had an average of 94.8, good for third on the team. She shot a season-low 85 at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational.
Niepagen awarded letters to six players. They are, with hometowns and high schools:
SENIOR - Jennifer Van Dyke (Waukegan HS).
JUNIOR - Jodi Smallenberger (Morton HS).
SOPHOMORES - Kelly Kostock (Elgin, Burlington Central HS), Mandy Watson (Normal, Community HS).
FRESHMEN - Amy Cline (Decatur, Eisenhower HS), Melissa McMahon (Minier, Stanford Olympia HS).
1998 ILLINOIS WESLEYAN WOMEN'S GOLF AVERAGES
(Only 18-hole scores included)
NAME ROUNDS STROKES AVERAGE LOW ROUND
Jodi Smallenberger (Morton HS) 14 1196 85.4 80
Melissa McMahon (Minier, Olympia HS) 14 1289 92.1 84
Mandy Watson (Normal Community HS) 12 1138 94.8 85
Kelly Kostock (Elgin, Burlington Central HS) 12 1160 96.6 88
Jennifer Van Dyke (Waukegan HS) 14 1404 100.3 94
Amy Cline (Decatur, Eisenhower HS) 14 1512 108 97
Amanda Scheiman (Peotone HS) 1 121 121.0 121WOMEN'S GOLF RESULTS
September 5-6 Illinois State Redbird Classic Tie for 15th (of 17)
TEAM SCORES: Missouri 302-303=605; Illinois State 305-315=620; Iowa State 309-318=627; Southwest Missouri State 317-314=631; Southern Illinois 315-319=634; Northern Iowa 327-312=639; Missouri-Kansas City 318-322= 640; Northern Illinois 325-321=646; Xavier 325-329=654; Bowling Green 323-339=662; Lewis 340-326=666; Bradley 339-338=677; Indianapolis 349-341=690; Loyola 362-343=705; Illinois Wesleyan 358-386=744; Evansville 374-381=753. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 86-86=172; Melissa McMahon 85-98=183; Mandy Watson 91-96=187; Kelly Kostock 96-107=203; Jennifer Van Dyke 104-106=210; Amy Cline 110-109=219.September 9 Illinois College Invitational Tie for 2nd (of 5)
TEAM SCORES: Knox 369; Illinois Wesleyan 374; Millikin 374; Illinois College 439; Lincoln College 504. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 81 (medalist); Melissa McMahon 93; Jennifer Van Dyke 99; Mandy Watson 101; Kelly Kostock 104; Amy Cline 110.September 12-13 Illinois Wesleyan Invitational 2nd (of 9)
TEAM SCORES: Wisconsin-Oshkosh 369-351=720; Illinois Wesleyan 360-365=725; Carthage 364-365=729; Augustana 400-380=780; Millikin 389-393=782; SIU Edwardsville 401-386=787; Elmhurst 419-409=828; Wisconsin-Whitewater 452-422=874; North Central 489-449=938. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 84-86=170; Melissa McMahon 92-90=182; Mandy Watson 90-93=183; Kelly Kostock 94-96=190; Jennifer Van Dyke 110-97=207; Amy Cline 118-103=221.September 15 Augustana Invitational 2nd (of 9)
TEAM SCORES: Carthage 354; Illinois Wesleyan 356; Augustana 358; Millikin 372; St. Ambrose 383; North Central 454; Eureka inc; Clarke inc; Illinois College inc. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 80 (medalist); Melissa McMahon 88; Mandy Watson 91; Amy Cline 97; Jennifer Van Dyke 100; Kelly Kostock 100.September 18 Carthage Invitational 3rd (of 12)
TEAM SCORES: Lewis 335; Wisconsin -Eau Claire 357; Illinois Wesleyan 363; Carthage 367; Wisconsin-Oshkosh 377; Wisconsin-Stevens Point 389; Millikin 390; Wisconsin-Whitewater 429; North Central 442; Carroll 469; Edgewood 478; Wisconsin-Lutheran 628. IWU SCORES: Melissa McMahon 89; Kelly Kostock 89; Jodi Smallenberger 92; Mandy Watson 93; Amy Cline 103; Jennifer Van Dyke 104.September 19 Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational 3rd (of 11)
TEAM SCORES: Wisconsin-Oshkosh 331; Wisconsin -Eau Claire 334; Illinois Wesleyan 341; Wisconsin-Stevens Point 344; Winona 344; Carthage 348; Millikin 358; Augustana 396; Ripon 421; Superior 432; Marian 508. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 80 (medalist); Melissa McMahon 84; Mandy Watson 85; Kelly Kostock 90; Jennifer Van Dyke 95; Amy Cline 107.September 23 Big Blue Womenâs Golf Tournament 3rd (of 6)
TEAM SCORES: Millikin 354; Carthage 359; Illinois Wesleyan 365; Elmhurst 401; North Central 425; Lincoln College 473. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 84; Melissa McMahon 92; Jennifer Van Dyke 94; Mandy Watson 95; Amy Cline 110; Amanda Scheiman 121.September 25 Knox Invitational 7th (of 10)
TEAM SCORES: Truman State 337; Knox 347; Carthage 359; St. Ambrose 372; Mount Mercy 373; Millikin 380; Illinois Wesleyan 385; Augustana 400; Iowa Wesleyan 456; Grinnell 483. IWU SCORES: Melissa McMahon 89; Jodi Smallenberger 95; Kelly Kostock 96; Jennifer Van Dyke 105; Amy Cline 113.September 26 Fighting Bee Classic 4th (of 11)
TEAM SCORES: Truman State 328; Knox 339; Augustana 357; Illinois Wesleyan 360; St. Ambrose 362; Mount Mercy 367; Loras 367; Coe 389; Elmhurst 393; St. Ambrose Blue 405; Grinnell College 428. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 82; Kelly Kostock 88; Jennifer Van Dyke 94; Melissa McMahon 96; Amy Cline 107.October 3 Elmhurst Invitational 1st (of 5)
TEAM SCORES: Illinois Wesleyan 397; Elmhurst 405; Augustana 408; Millikin 411; North Central DNF. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger 98; Melissa McMahon 98; Jennifer Van Dyke 100; Mandy Watson 101; Amy Cline 108; Kelly Kostock WD.October 9-10 CCIW Tournament 2nd (of 8)
TEAM SCORES: Carthage 736; Illinois Wesleyan 747; Millikin 752; Augustana 795; Elmhurst 821; North Central 891; North Park 959; Wheaton DNF. IWU SCORES: Jodi Smallenberger (medalist) 82-80=162; Melissa McMahon 97-98=195; Jennifer Van Dyke 99-98=197; Kelly Kostock 97-103=200; Mandy Watson 106-96=202; Amy Cline 114-103=217.