May 3, 2007
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -
Four former Illinois State women's golfers were named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial team. Illinois State has been with Valley golf since its start in 1983, and as part of celebration of the conference's century of existence, 20 golfers were named to the team.
Redbirds receiving the honors include Jen Cully (1988-1991), Tina Lindsey (1991-1994), Suzanne Walker (1997-2000), and most recent team member Samantha Richdale (2003-2006). The four selections were second to Southern Illinois, who received six players named to the team.
Each player has made their own mark on the program and head coach Ray Kralis is excited to have four Redbirds on the team.
"It is a thrill to have the representation of Illinois State on the MVC team," said Kralis. "The four players that earned a spot all had standout careers. Even though I only had a chance to coach one, they all had fantastic careers here and it is good to see them recognized."
Cully was named to the all-conference team all four years as a Redbird in addition to being the MVC Championship medalist in 1991. In 1990, she finished third (260) at the Gateway golf meet as the team finished second (1057). Cully led ISU to a conference crown in 1991 after firing a 237 and finishing in first individually, winning by six strokes.
Lindsey earned all-conference honors three times (1992, 1993, 1994) and was an 11-time recipient of MVC Golfer of the week (second-highest in Valley history). Lindsey recorded a first-place win in 1992 at the 63rd Peoria Women's City Tournament as well as medalist honors at the 1993 Northern Illinois Women's Golf Association Two-Day Tournament.
Walker earned MVC Golfer of the week six times and was selected to the all-conference team three times (1997, 1998, 2000). In addition to conference honors, she took medalist honors at the Midwest Classic in both 1997 and 1999. Walker captured medalist honors and guided Illinois State to a second-place finish at the 1998 Redbird Classic.
Richdale earned a spot on the all-conference team all four years at ISU and was a three-time MVC championship medalist (2003, 2004, 2006). Additionally, Richdale holds the Valley record for MVC golfer of the week (17). Some of Richdale's notable accomplishments include being named to the 2006 Scholar-Athlete First Team and earning recognition for making the biggest comeback in MVC history at the 2006 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship. She was able to overcome first day obstacles and earn medalist honors, as the Redbirds notched a second-place finish.
Richdale also broke three school records at the 2005 Lady Northern Invitational. She fired a three-round total of 214, which is the lowest 54-hole score in ISU history. Her two-round score of 141 broke the record for a 36-hole low, while her first-round tally of 69 was a 18-hole record for ISU.
"We have had student-athletes throughout conference history come in and set a standard of excellence on the golf course," said Kralis. "The neat thing to look at is that there have been significant players in history that have continued to raise the bar higher, yet each player has come in and made their own mark and taken it to levels that others didn't think possible."
With so many great players in the history of the program, Kralis was honored that he was able to coach Richdale.
"It was a privilege and honor as a coach to have had the opportunity to be associated with Sam," said Kralis. "She was one of the top players in the nation, not just our program. When recruiting, it is exciting to think who will be the next Sam Richdale."
The All-Centennial team composition was chosen by an on-line fan vote (www.mvc100.org) and by a centennial committee. Women's and men's golf received almost 1,000 votes. Votes were also used to determine an all-time coach.
