PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley women's golf team will open the 2014 Fall schedule close to home, kicking off the 2014-15 season Sunday and Monday at the Redbird Invitational in Normal, Ill.
The Braves will be playing at the Redbird Invitational for the fifth consecutive year after placing fifth in the event each of the last two seasons. Play is slated to begin Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and feature two rounds on the opening day. Monday's final round at the par-72 Weibring Golf Course will also feature an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.
The Redbird Invitational will provide an early look at several Missouri Valley Conference opponents, with tournament-host and I-74 rival Illinois State joining conference foes Evansville, Loyola and Drake in the field. The 16-team field also includes in-state opponents Northern Illinois and Western Illinois along with Ball State, Bowling Green, Butler, Central Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, Marshall, Oakland, Ohio and South Dakota State.
Bradley returns four letterwinners, including the top four in stroke average, from last year's team which finished fifth at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship.
Junior Danielle Lemek (Doniphan, Neb./Doniphan-Trumbull) returns after a record-setting sophomore year in which she was named MVC Golfer of the Year. Lemek has placed in the top six at the Redbird Invitational each of her first two years on The Hilltop and owns a 75.00 career stroke average in the event.
Fellow junior Allison Walsh (Mt. Prospect, Ill./Mt. Prospect) was an honorable mention MVC Scholar-Athlete last year and was second on the team with a 78.43 average in 2013-14. She was 17th in the Valley in stroke average and her season average was 20th in school history.
Jenna Roadley (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Sturgeon Heights) is one of three juniors on a roster which features no seniors. Roadley finished her sophomore season by averaging 78.14 per round over the final three tournaments of the year and ranked third on the squad with a 79.04 season average.
Sophomore Paige Jordan (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) had a strong debut at last year's Redbird Invitational and is one of four returning letterwinners. Jordan opened last year's event in Normal, Ill., with a two-over 74 and tied for 27th overall at 232.
In addition to the strong returning cast, fifth-year Bradley head coach Mary Swanson will have three newcomers to help add depth to the lineup this fall. Freshman Grace Henderson (Peachtree Corners, Ga./Blessed Trinity) won an individual state title as a senior and had two top-four state finishes during her prep career. Fellow freshman Ally Scaccia (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) was an all-state performer and helped her school to state titles as a senior and sophomore. In addition, freshman Abby Wellens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) was a 10-time medalist as a senior, including a state sectional individual title.
After the Redbird Invitational, the Braves return to action Sept. 15 & 16 at the Cardinal Cup in Louisville, Ky.
