Women's Golf
Denison to add women's golf as 23rd varsity sport
Date: January 6, 2006
Location: Denison University
GRANVILLE-- Denison University Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation Larry Scheiderer has announced the addition of women's golf as Denison's 23rd varsity intercollegiate sport beginning in the fall of 2006. Women's golf, which has existed at Denison University for the past six years at the club sport level will become Denison's 12th female varsity sport, joining Denison's 11 male varsity sports. "The addition of women's golf to our varsity intercollegiate athletic program will provide a great opportunity for our female students," commented Scheiderer. "The outstanding cooperation from the Granville Golf Course in both golf instruction and facilities makes this sport and outstanding fit for Denison." A perpetual leader in the realm of gender equity and Title IX, the addition of a 12th female sport will offer prospective and current Denison female athletes the chance to compete on the varsity stage. While women's golf is not currently sponsored by the North Coast Athletic Conference, Denison will compete against other likeminded NCAA Division III institutions. Denison is the third member of the North Coast Athletic Conference to offer women's golf as a varsity sport. They join Wittenberg University, who added the sport in 2003-04 and Allegheny College who installed the program last season. The head coach of the Denison women's golf program will be Ashley Bland, the current assistant coach for women's basketball. An avid golfer and a former Division I basketball standout, Bland is ready to take on the challenge of guiding the Big Red women's golf team into varsity competition next fall. "I am thrilled to have been selected as the first head women's golf coach at Denison," stated Bland. "We feel we have the student-athletes, facilities and resources to be competitive within the coming years. With the players returning from the club team along with the recruiting and scheduling that is currently taking place, we hope to generate a great deal of interest in the program." Over the years the popularity of the women's club golf team has been growing and growing and the progression to varsity status has loomed large in the overall vision of the athletic department. Current Denison students wishing to try out for the varsity squad next fall should contact Coach Bland via e-mail at blanda@denison.edu or by phone at 740-587-6566. High school recruits interested in Denison can fill out a questionnaire at www.denison.edu/athletics/quest/wgolfquest.html.