WHAT'S AHEAD
The Drake women's golf team travels to Ledbetter, Ky., where the Bulldogs will partake in the 11-team Murray State Drake Creek Invitational on Monday (Sept. 17) and Tuesday (Sept. 18).  The 54-hole event hosted by Murray State University will be held at the Drake Creek Golf Club.  Golfers will tee off starting with shotgun starts on Monday (Sept. 17) at 8:30 a.m. CT and on Tuesday (Sept. 18) at 8:00 a.m.

The 11-team field includes: Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Belmont, Central Arkansas, Columbia, Drake, Jackson State, Murray State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Tennessee State.

A LOOK BACK
Carding a final-round 325, Drake earned a 54-hole score of 959 (318-316-325=959), good for an eighth-place finish among 15 teams at the Redbird Invitational hosted by D.A. Weibring Golf Club last Sunday (Sept. 9).

Junior Hadley Jennings (Trenton, Mo.) was the Bulldogs' top finisher with a two-day total of 225 (74-77-74) to tie for third place, after posting a final round 74.

Senior Chelsey Falk (Glenwood, Minn.) was nearly as impressive carding a final-round 78 to post a 54-hole total of 232 (79-75-78) en route to a 15th-place showing.

Sophomore Danielle Brooks (Red Wing, Minn.) and freshman Katie Clausen (Hinton, Iowa) each recorded tournament scores of 251 to tie for 61st place.  Brooks (81-85-85=251) turned in a round of 85 over the final 18 holes, while Clausen (84-79-88=251) signed off on a score of 88.

DRAKE RESULTS: Hadley Jennings (74-77-74=225/T-3rd), Chelsey Falk (79-75-78=232/T-15th), Katie Clausen (84-79-88=251/T-61st) and Danielle Brooks (81-85-85=251/T-61st)

DRAKE HEAD COACH LEANNE SMITH
Leanne Smith is in her third season as head women's golf coach for the Bulldogs after serving as an assistant coach with the Drake men's and women's golf programs from 2006-2010.

This past season, Drake turned in top-10 finishes in six of its 10 tournament appearances.  Smith guided the Bulldogs through a spring campaign in which Drake was challenged by injuries, including its top-scoring individual, freshman Kimmy Askelson, who was lost due to injury.

Askelson directed the Bulldogs with a team-low 79.7 scoring average in 12 rounds, while sophomore Hadley Jennings turned in an 80.1 average in 28 rounds.

In her initial campaign leading the Drake program, Smith guided the Bulldogs to four top-six finishes, including three during the spring season.

UP NEXT
After a two-week layoff, the Bulldogs return to the course traveling to Tulsa, Okla., for the Bob Hurley Oral Roberts Shootout (Oct. 1-2).