By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports
This is a busy time of the year for MSU Women’s Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll. The – Michigan State’s women’s golf team is back in action this weekend, playing in the Tar Heel Invitational at the Finley Golf Course, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Spartan’s finished tied for fourth at the Folds of Honor Collegiate and second at their own Mary Fossum Invitational. In my recent conversation with Slobodnick-Stoll, she talked about the leadership of Katie Lu and Brooke Biermann and how the Spartans are to make it to the NCAA Finals and match play, which has eluded the team.
Q- Stacy, is it your goal to make all roads in women’s golf in the Big Ten to run through MSU?
Slobodnik-Stoll A: “Not only in the Big Ten, I want that in the country and I think we have succeeded in doing that. We are not at the level where we have won a National Championship yet, but I think if you ask a lot of the coaches around the country that, Michigan State is one of the best teams in the country. We always come to play when it comes to the NCAA Regional.”
Q- What does grit look like for MSU. After the NCAA Regional last year, what did the team think they could do in 2024-25?
A – Slobodnik-Stoll: “The last few years, we have been very disappointed that we did not make the top 15 (NCAA Tournament Finals). The last few years we should have done it but we failed. The two leaders Katie Lu and Brooke Biermann, they are ready to take the program to the next level of getting into the top 15 and make it into match play. Their disappointment is part of sports. When you are disappointed, you are going to fix it and get better for the next year.”
Q- You know your team is at the next level when…?
A- Slobodnick-Stoll: “Every year is different. Its figuring out the chemistry. We have a lot of depth this year so I have some individuals that played this week that had nice performances. The first couple of tournaments this year its going to be figuring out who our top five players are and then by the time you get to April and May, you are very understanding of who your team is. You have their makeup, their chemistry and what we are good at what we need to improve upon.”
Me: You are going to get there. Slobodnik-Stoll. “Thank You.”
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Slobodnik-Stoll has actually coached the Spartans longer than the only other coach MSU Women’s golf (28 years) have ever had Mary Fossum.
In her 27 seasons as head coach, Slobodnik-Stoll has led the Spartans to 24 NCAA Regional appearances (1999-2014, 2016-19, 2021-24), 14 trips to the NCAA Championships (2000-03, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012-14, 2017, 2021, 2023-24) and eight Big Ten titles (2001, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021). Additionally, Michigan State has won 44 tournaments during her tenure, including the 2023 NCAA Palm Beach Regional, the program’s first-ever NCAA Regional win.
She is in the Michigan’s Golf Hall-of-Fame (Class of 2017)
Slobodnik-Stoll is a five-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2001, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2018) and was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1999.
The MSU Team is at the Tar Heel Invitational three-day, 54-hole tournament which tees off on Friday, Oct. 11 and continues trough Sunday, Oct. 13.
Sat, Jun 8 at 9:18 AM
Roy J. Akers is a multi-media reporter and covers several sports for www.skyviewsports.net
Great story
great job