After finishing third in 2014 and fourth last year, the Pioneers placed second out of 18 teams Friday at Red Sky.

DU posted a 10-over-par 874 total, which left the Pios eight strokes behind champion San Diego State, which also won the team title last year.

Denver, coached by Lindsay Kuhle (pictured), put three players in the top 20 individually: freshman Camille Enright (1-over-par 217, 10th place), senior Mariell Bruun (219, 14th) and senior Jessica Carty (220, 19th).

Malene Krolboll Hansen of Coastal Carolina earned the individual championship at 9-under-par 207.

Golfweek Women’s Conference Challenge
Sept. 26-28, 2016 (final) at Red Sky GC in Wolcott
2. (out of 18 teams) Denver 298-286-290–874
10. Camille Enright 73-72-72–217
14. Mariell Bruun 74-71-74–219
19. Jessica Carty 77-70-73–220
26. Lauren Whyte 74-73-75–222
63. Jessica Dreesbeimdieke 78-82-71–231
 

Lindsay Kuhle was named the league’s coach of the year for the third consecutive time, while junior Jessica Carty earned women’s golfer of the year honors, and freshman Kathi Baratta landed the newcomer of the year award. (Kuhle and Baratta are pictured lining up a putt last fall.)

In April, Kuhle’s Pioneers won their league tournament for the 13th consecutive year, and Carty claimed top individual honors, tying the tournament record with a 217 total for 54 holes.

As a team, DU recorded a 52-stroke victory in the Summit League tourney.

(June 9 update: Also this week, the DU women announced that Lauren Whyte of Scotland, a transfer from Baylor, will join the team in the fall. Whyte competed for the Bears when they finished NCAA runner-up in 2015.)

Lindsay Kuhle has accomplished plenty in golf in her native state of Colorado, including winning a couple of state amateur championships, the CWGA Junior Stroke Play in 2000 and the CWGA Stroke Play in 2005. And she was an assistant coach when the University of Denver finished sixth and fifth in the NCAA Championship finals, though those events were obviously held out of state.

One thing she hadn’t done, though, is win a golf tournament in Colorado as a college head coach.

But on Sunday, she checked that off the list.

Kuhle, head coach of the DU women’s team since early 2013, celebrated among friends, family and co-workers Sunday as the Pioneers claimed the team championship in the ninth annual Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate at Highlands Ranch Golf Club.

The Pios rallied from a three-shot deficit heading into the final round to post a five-stroke victory in the 18-team field. Aside from conference championships, it was DU’s first team title since the 2009 Moore Intercollegiate. That was also the last time Denver won a team title at a Colorado-based tournament.

All in all, it was a nice way to close out the fall portion of the schedule for DU and Kuhle, whose daughter, Lucy, turned 1 year old on Saturday and happily spent the weekend at Highlands Ranch GC. (Lucy is pictured at left with mom Lindsay on Sunday.)

“It means a lot,” Kuhle said. “To get a win, especially in front of all of our friends and families at our home course is so special.

“I’m so proud of the way the girls competed. We had the best energy and attitude and we were so relaxed, and I think that tells you a lot about how you play good golf. If you’re having fun, it’s so important. That’s something I preach. No matter how you’re playing to act like you’re playing well, to also have a positive attitude, and wave to your teammates to be encouraging. I think that really helped us get this win.”

The victory was the fourth for Kuhle since she took over as head coach, on the heels of a WAC title in 2013 and Summit League championships in 2014 and ’15.

On Sunday, Denver posted the low round of the day, a 2-under-par 286, as all the DU golfers who were competing for the team score shot between 70 and 73 despite windy conditions.

With a 2-under 862 total for three rounds, the Pioneers finished five ahead of San Francisco and eight in front of Washington State.

Colorado State recorded its best tournament score — 872 — since 2009 in placing fourth. Northern Colorado (893) was 11th.

Individually, DU freshman Kathi Baratta and CSU sophomore Allie Andersen shared fifth place at 1-under-par 215, seven behind champion Kassidy Teare of Long Beach State. For Andersen, it was the best college tournament score she’s recorded.

As for Baratta (pictured at top and at left with Kuhle), she’s shaping up to be a real find for Denver. Coming from the Austrian national team, she agreed in June to sign a letter of intent with DU site unseen, after being recruited by Kuhle to fill the roster spot vacated when Elyse Smidinger transferred to Oregon State. Baratta had never set foot in Colorado before coming to Denver in late August.

The Austrian couldn’t compete in the Pioneers’ first tournament because the school doesn’t allow freshmen to miss their first week of classes, but she’s certainly shown her stuff since. In her first two college tournaments, she’s finished eighth in an event at Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott and fifth on Sunday. In her first month as a college golfer, she was named the Summit League Women’s Player of the Month for September.

“I came here and I really just wanted to be an asset to the team,” she said Sunday. “My target was to qualify for every tournament, then try my best to support the team. If you can earn two top-10s in your first two college tournaments, that’s a bonus. I’m personally very happy with the result.”

And seeing her team claim a championship so soon after arriving was satisfying as well.

“I’m really happy,” she said. “It was only the second tournament I played, so it’s great to actually earn a victory. The whole team played great. No one had a bad score today. It was a beautiful day to finish what we started. The motivation went from the older girls to us freshmen. We really wanted to win. We knew we could win.”

DU has one of the more diverse college rosters you’ll find. Five of the Pioneers’ seven players are from oversees. Besides Baratta (Austria), there’s fellow freshman Sophie Newlove (England), juniors Mariell Bruun (Norway) and Jessica Carty (Northern Ireland, who would have had a high individual finish Sunday had she not inadvertently signed for an incorrect score on Saturday), and sophomore Jessica Dreesbeimdieke (Namibia in southwest Africa). And then there are two Americans, senior Isabel Southard (Sharon, Mass., who was sidelined this weekend due to a back injury) and sophomore Aleana Groenhout (Kirkland, Wash).

“I’m just trying to get the best student-athlete in the world,” Kuhle said of her recruiting approach. “My assistant (Daniela Lendl, daughter of former tennis great Ivan Lendl) and I will go over to Europe, but we’re looking for someone who really cares about school and golf.”

On Sunday, Baratta finished fifth individually, while Groenhout was 12th and Newlove was 17th after a final-round 70.

“They fit right in,” Kuhle said of her freshmen, Baratta and Newlove. “We didn’t skip a beat at all in the transition from losing a couple of (players) from last year to this year.”

For her part, in choosing DU, Baratta was attracted to the surroundings and climate in Colorado, which are not so different from Austria.

“If you look around, it’s beautiful here,” she said. “I decided if I want to go to the States, them I’m not going to go somewhere it’s 365 (days-per-year) heat. I can’t handle that, so Colorado was similar to home, so that’s why I came here. It basically feels like home. It’s really great.”

And Kuhle feels fortunate to have landed such a quality player just months before the season started.

“To get someone like that, I think there is some luck in that,” Kuhle said.

Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate
Oct. 9-11, 2015 (final) at Par-72 Highlands Ranch GC

1. (out of 18 teams) Denver 282-294-286–862
5. Kathi Baratta 71-71-73–215; 12. Aleana Groenhout 74-70-72–216; 17. Sophie Newlove 73-76-70–219; 30. Mariell Bruun 72-77-73–222; Jessica Carty 66-DQ-71. Competing as individual: 37. Jessica Dreesbeimdieke 67-74-83–224.

4. Colorado State 293-290-289–872
5. Allie Andersen 70-71-74–215; 17. Elisabeth Rau 74-70-74–215; 17. Katrina Prendergast 73-73-73–219; 37. Brianna Becker 78-77-69–224; 46. Mikayla Tatman 76-76-73–225. Competing as individual: 50. Sarah Archuleta 74-77-75–226.

11. Northern Colorado 293-300-300–893
22. Amanda Myers 71-73-76–220; 32. Kala Keltz 70-73-80–223; 46. Christina Ferrreira 74-76-75–225; 74. Baile Winslow 78-78-75–231; 89. Janet Yeo 86-78-74–238.

Also
22. Jamie Oleksiew, Colorado 72-72-76–220
25. Lauryn Keating, Colorado 73-76-72–221
32. Coloradan Bryce Schroeder, Wichita State 71-76-76–223
37. Coloradan Taylor Dorans, Wyoming 77-75-72–224
37. Gillian Vance, Colorado 74-72-78–224
68. Coloradan Jaylee Tait, Montana State 78-75-77–230
82. Coloradan Kathleen Kershisnik, Wyoming 78-77-80–235

For the second time in two years, a longtime University of Denver head golf coach has departed and been replaced by a highly regarded assistant coach with strong DU ties.

Sixteen months after Sammie Chergo stepped down after 15 years as DU women’s head coach and was replaced by her former longtime assistant, Lindsay Kuhle, Eric Hoos exited as DU men’s head coach after 15 seasons and was succeeded by former Pioneer women’s associate head coach Erik Billinger.

A DU press release said Hoos “resigned from the position to pursue other professional opportunities.”

Hoos (pictured above) led the DU men to three league titles during his coaching tenure, including this year’s Summit League championship. The Pioneers also won the season-opening Ram Masters Invitational in September. Since taking the DU job in 1999 after being an assistant at the University of Colorado, Hoos guided the Pioneers to nine team victories, 17 individual wins and nine NCAA regional appearances.

Reached Monday evening, Hoos didn’t want to elaborate much on the situation, but did say, “It was a fun run. Not many coaches get to spend 15 years at one place. I wish Erik the best.”

Hoos is a graduate of Fairview High School and the University of Arkansas. His professional playing career was highlighted by a victory on what is now the Web.com Tour. In 2011 and ’13, Hoos was the low amateur at the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open.

“The University of Denver community thanks Eric for his years of dedication and the leadership, passion and energy he provided to the golf program,” Peg Bradley-Doppes, vice chancellor of athletics and recreation, said in the press release. “We wish him much success with his future endeavors.”

Billinger (left) played golf at DU after transferring from CU, winning a Sun Belt League individual title as a Pioneer in 2001 and qualifying for two NCAA regionals.

He said he was “very surprised” at the recent turn of events. Billinger indicated he heard about Hoos’ resignation on Friday morning and was offered the job on Friday afternoon.

“I have a little mixed emotions,” Billinger said Monday in a phone interview. “I’m sad Hoos is leaving, but I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m glad the university felt highly enough of me to be a leader. Both my wife (Megan) and I graduated from DU, so we’re excited.

“But there’s lots and lots going on today. It’s a little crazy.”

After helping out with the DU men’s and women’s programs for two years following his graduation in 2002, Billinger worked as a PGA instructor for 10 years at Highlands Ranch Golf Club before becoming a DU women’s assistant coach in 2012. (Highlands Ranch Golf Club was gifted to DU in 2011.) This year, the DU women’s team, under Kuhle and Billinger, won its 11th consecutive league title. And senior Tonje Daffinrud finished 10th individually in the NCAA Championship Finals.

Though Billinger helped coach the DU women in the last two seasons, he’s quite familiar with the men’s team. The women’s and men’s squads traveled together to this year’s Summit League tournaments, and they both practice at Highlands Ranch Golf Club and at an indoor practice facility at the Ritchie Center.

Asked about his coaching approach, Billinger said he was going to “try to make the environment positive and enthusiastic.”

Billinger was the Colorado PGA’s Player of the Year in 2008 and Teacher of the Year in 2010 and ’12.
 

The Pioneers have known nothing but success in their conference tournaments for the last decade, having put together an amazing run of 10 consecutive conference team titles.

They’ve won in the Sun Belt Conference (nine times), they’ve won in the Western Athletic Conference (once) and this week coach Lindsay (Hulwick) Kuhle’s squad will take aim at the Summit League crown, which will be decided from Monday through Wednesday (April 21-23) in Keller, Texas.

Kuhle (pictured above), the 2005 CWGA Stroke Play winner, has been involved in most of DU’s run of conference championship dominance, having been an assistant coach or associate head coach under Sammie Chergo for seven of the victories before taking the Pioneers to the WAC title last year as a rookie head coach.

And DU has not only claimed team victories at conference championships during the last decade. The Pioneers have also won six individual titles during that span: Emily Hoeper (2005), Stephanie Sherlock (2007 and 2008), Kimberly Kim (2010), Rachael Watton (2012) and Tonje Daffinrud (2013).

Daffinrud, then a junior, ran away with the WAC title a year ago, winning by six strokes. And before departing the DU program later this spring, she’ll try to make it two in a row, this time in the Summit League. She owns a 72.05 season-long stroke average — the best among league players by almost three shots — and has posted top-eight finishes in each of her last five stroke-play events. Daffinrud is ranked 15th in the nation among women collegians by Golfstat and 24th by Golfweek.

“I would love to win Summit League titles both as a team and as an individual,” Daffinrud said. “A win would give myself and the team great confidence going into the NCAA Regionals and ideally, into the NCAA Championships.”

Should Denver claim the Summit League title, it will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA regionals.

There are eight teams in the Summit League tournament, mostly from the Midwest, but DU placed first in the preseason league polls, both on the women’s and men’s sides. In fact, Denver ranks among the top 45 women’s teams in the nation. And DU claimed all five spots on the all-league women’s first team (Daffinrud, Mariell Bruun, Elyse Smidinger, Isabel Southard and Watton), a first in Summit League history.

All nine NCAA Division I golf programs in the state (five men’s and four women’s) will compete in their conference championships over the next week.

Here’s the schedule, noting the Colorado-based schools playing:

April 20-22 — Big Sky Women in Chandler, Ariz. (Northern Colorado)

April 21-23 — Summit League Men in Tyler, Texas (Denver)

April 21-23 — Summit League Women in Keller, Texas (Denver)

April 24-26 — Mountain West Women in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (Colorado State)

April 25-27 — Pac-12 Men in Marana, Ariz. (Colorado)

April 25-27 — Pac-12 Women in Corvallis, Ore. (Colorado)

April 25-27 — Mountain West Men in Tucson, Ariz. (Colorado State and Air Force)

April 25-27 — America Sky Men in Angels Camp, Calif. (Northern Colorado)

Here’s a rundown:

April 20-22 — Big Sky Women in Chandler, Ariz.

Notable — Northern Colorado is ranked 210th/211th among the nation’s Division I women’s teams. … UNC, the 2012 champion, finished third in the 2013 Big Sky Championship. … Since-graduated Carleigh Silvers was UNC’s top individual last year, placing fifth. … Colorado Springs resident Paige Crawford, who plays for Montana State, is defending her conference title this week after winning by seven strokes last year.

April 21-23 — Summit League Men in Tyler, Texas

Notable — Denver, ranked 127th/131st in the nation, won its opener and notched one other top-five finish this season. … Senior Oskar Arvidsson leads Denver in season-long scoring average with 72.47. He has one win and three other top-10s this season. … Joining Arvidsson on the all-league first team is teammate Ole Ramsnes. … Arvidsson finished fifth individually at the Western Athletic Conference Championships last year. … DU placed seventh in the 10-team conference race in 2013.

April 21-23 — Summit League Women in Keller, Texas

Notable — See story above.

April 24-26 — Mountain West Women in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Notable — Colorado State recorded one top-five finish during the regular season, a fourth-place showing at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational. The Rams are ranked 122th/129th in the nation. … Emily Roering owns the team’s top scoring average at 76.9, having posted one top-five finish. … Colorado State finished seventh in last year’s eight-team MWC tournament. … Roering led the way for CSU individually, placing 19th.

April 25-27 — Pac-12 Men in Marana, Ariz.

Notable — This tournament is unusual in that it’s a 72-hole event, with the best five scores from six players each day counting toward the team total. … Colorado has posted seven top-four team finishes this season, including in each of its last four tournaments. The Buffs are ranked 53rd/59th in the country. … German twins Jeremy Paul (72.03) and Yannik Paul (72.63), both freshmen, lead CU in season stroke average. Paul won a tournament this spring and is ranked 126th in the nation by Golfstat and 174th by Golfweek. … Colorado finished 10th in last year’s Pac-12 Championships. … The Buffs put one player in the top 25 individually in 2013 as Philip Juel-Berg placed 24th.

April 25-27 — Pac-12 Women in Corvallis, Ore.

Notable — Colorado has recorded two top-three finishes this season and is ranked 47th/58th in the nation. … Senior Jennifer Coleman leads the team in stroke average at 74.0. She’s finished in the top three individually in two of her last three tournaments and ranks 107th/121st in the country. … Coleman placed third individually against a very strong field in last year’s conference championship. … As a team, the Buffs ended up ninth in 2013.

April 25-27 — Mountain West Men in Tucson, Ariz.

Notable — Air Force Academy senior Kyle Westmoreland has notched five top-seven finishes this season, including a victory at the season-opening Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational. He ranks third in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average at 71.7. Nationally, Westmoreland is 109th in the country according to Golfstat. … Junior Cameron Harrell leads the way for CSU in stroke average at 72.24. … Air Force has won two tournaments this season, the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational and the Snowman Getaway. … CSU is ranked 103rd/104th in the nation, while Air Force is 137th/142nd. … Air Force finished fourth and Colorado State placed fifth in the nine-team 2013 conference championships. … Westmoreland was the top local individual in 2013, finishing eighth.

April 25-27 — America Sky Men in Angels Camp, Calif.

Notable — Northern Colorado has posted three top-three team finishes this season, including a win at the Border Olympics. … The Bears are ranked 152nd/153rd in the country. … In the last five tournaments, five UNC players have finished in the top two individually, with Ben Krueger doing so twice, Steven Kupcho twice and Conner Barr once. … Krueger, a Colorado Springs resident, placed third individually last year at the conference tournament. … UNC ended up fifth in the 12-team America Sky field last year.