2000-01 News

Bobbie Named to All-America Team

Bobbie, the 2001 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) Women's Golf Player of the Year, was one of seven individuals to achieve first-team All-America recognition and among 30 individuals to attain scholar-team honors.

The National Golf Coaches Association, which began in 1983, is the premier organization for women's golf coaches at NCAA Division I, II and III institutions. The NGCA encourages the playing of intercollegiate golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition.

Bobbie, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, played an integral role in guiding the Bulldogs to a fifth-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Division II National Championships (5/16-19) in Rock Hill, S.C. She carded a team-leading four-round 322-stroke total to place 10th individually.

A 2001 All-GLIAC First-Team pick, Bobbie registered a school single-season record 79.9 stroke average in 26 rounds with a low round of 73 at the Tri-State Invitational (10/22-23).

Bobbie recorded or shared top individual medalist honors in five tournaments during the 2000-01 season – Ferris State Invitational (9/2-3), Indianapolis Greyhound Fall Classic (9/30-10/1), Tri-State Invitational, Grand Valley State Spring Invitational (3/31-4/1) and the GLIAC Championships (4/21-22). Bobbie compiled 10 top 10 finishes in 12 combined fall and spring tournaments this season. She also set an individual school record with a two-round total of 147 to capture first-place honors at the Tri-State Invite.

The criteria for being chosen a NGCA First-Team All-American consists of NCAA qualifying averages (all rounds minus three highest rounds), tournament wins and average place of finish, quality of field in tournaments and a NCAA Medalist (automatic inclusion). The NGCA All-America Scholar Team recognizes and honors student-athletes who are outstanding in both academics and competitive golf at the collegiate level. NGCA Scholar Team honorees must have a grade point average of 3.4 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for their entire collegiate career, be a sophomore, junior or senior academically and have been in attendance at least one full academic year at the college making the nomination, be of high moral character and in good standing at the college making the nomination and must have played in 66 percent of the college's regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year nominated.

Bedortha Bags Regional Coaching Honors

Bedortha, who recently completed his second season as FSU's head coach this year, shared the coaching accolade with Longwood College's (Va.) Cindy Ho, who was also honored as the 2001 NGCA National Coach of the Year.

The NGCA was formed in 1983 to promote participation in women's golf and is the premier organization for women's golf coaches at NCAA Division I, II and III institutions. The NGCA encourages the playing of intercollegiate golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition.

This spring, Bedortha guided the nationally-ranked Bulldogs to a fifth-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Division II National Championships (May 16-19) at Rock Hill, S.C. The national tournament appearance represented Ferris' first since 1994 and the program's third ever.

The 2001 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) Women's Golf Coach of the Year, Bedortha directed Ferris to 10 top five-place finishes for the 2000-01 season, including three first-place team performances.

A native of Springfield, Ore., Bedortha returned to FSU in March 2000 after serving as the assistant golf professional at the Bend (Ore.) Golf and Country Club. He achieved 1988 All-GLIAC golf honors at Ferris State under former head coach Ron English after placing third overall at the conference championships while helping the Bulldogs capture a pair of conference titles in 1988 and 1989. He graduated from Ferris State in 1990 with a marketing degree in Professional Golf Management (PGM).

Bedortha holds membership in both the NGCA and the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA).

Bulldogs Selected for NCAA Championships

FSU to Make Third-Ever Appearance in Program's History

Ferris State along with Longwood College (Va.) were chosen from the East Region while Breanne Hall of Northern Kentucky and Grand Valley State's Katie Collins were the lone regional individual qualifiers. Florida Southern returns to defend its national championship title from a year ago.

The championships, which are being hosted by the South Atlantic Conference, will consist of both team and individual competition conducted concurrently. All participants will compete throughout the entire 72 holes of competition. In the team competition, the low four scores for each team will count in each day's total score. The number of participants allowed at the finals is 48 individuals.

"We're really excited about being selected," said second-year head coach Brad Bedortha. "This is a tremendous honor for the Ferris State women's golf program and I'm sure the ladies will enjoy the experience.

"We're playing with a lot of confidence right now and I believe we will play well next week. Our goal is to finish among the top five teams," added Bedortha, the 2001 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) Women's Golf Coach of the Year.

With the invitation, FSU will be participating in the NCAA Championships for the third time in the program's history next week following a nine-year absence. The Bulldogs' first-ever appearance was in 1992 (May 4-6) at Fayetteville, N.C., when former head coach Ron English's squad placed fourth of six teams with a 54-hole 1,015-stroke score. Ferris returned to the national tourney at Des Moines, Iowa, in 1994 (May 9-11) where the Bulldogs finished fifth of six teams as a result of carding a 1,014 score for 54 holes.

The 2000-01 Bulldog team has turned in top three finishes in eight of 11 tournaments during the season, including three first-place showings – Ferris State Invitational (Sept. 2-3), Findlay William "Bing" Beall Fall Classic (Sept. 22-23) and Tri-State Fall Invitational (Oct. 22-23). Most recently (April 21-22), FSU finished second place overall at the 2001 GLIAC Championships as sophomore Kathryn Bobbie of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario was honored as the GLIAC's Player of the Year after claiming the tournament's top medalist honors with a two-round 147-total stroke score.