Women’s Hoops Enjoys Annual Golf Extravaganza
The
University of Iowa women’s basketball team shared a fun day at Finkbine
Golf Course with Hawkeye supporters and fans as a part of its annual
Golf Extravaganza Tuesday afternoon.
There was a great turn out this year, and the Iowa staff and players enjoyed spending time with all the participants.
“It’s
great,” head coach Lisa Bluder said. “People come back every year
because it’s such a fun event to be a part of. Our team is here,
everyone gets the opportunity to meet the players, we’ve been fortunate
to have good weather, and Finkbine is a beautiful course. Avid golfers
and even the average golfers love it.”
The
Hawkeyes mingled with each foursome at different holes on the course,
encouraging them in their golf games, judging contests, and thanking
them for their continued support of the program. Participants also
enjoyed lunch and dinner with Iowa women’s basketball staff and players.
“It’s
a lot of fun to be out here,” senior-to-be Claire Till said. “The
weather has been great, and we love being able to see people golf and
maybe get a few swings in ourselves. It’s fun to interact with our
fans. We have the best fans in the nation, so we love to spend time
with them.”
“It’s really great to see all the
support, and we appreciate it more than they know,” junior-to-be Alexa
Kastanek said. “It’s awesome to see how many people truly care about us
and it shows that our Hawkeye crowd is really a family. It’s nice we
can laugh and have fun with them on the course, kick back, and have a
fun day.”
Those in attendance had a great time
celebrating the program’s latest successes on the court, including its
first Sweet 16 appearance since 1996, interacting with the Hawkeyes,
and having some fun competition on the course.
“I’ve
done this a couple years now. It’s a good time and a good cause,”
former Iowa men’s basketball coach Tom Davis said. “Especially this
year, I wanted to pay tribute to Lisa, her staff, and the basketball
program. What a great year they had.”
“I couldn’t
be happier to hang out with these incredible young women,” celebrity
golfer Tiffany O’Donnell said. “I’m the mother of two young women who
happen to play basketball. Even if they didn’t play basketball, I
couldn’t imagine a better group of young women for them to emulate and
see in action. These are smart, disciplined, and driven women. They are
incredible role models for young women, whether they know it or not.
They are a pleasure to be around.”
Proceeds from
the event fund the program’s foreign trip every four years. The next
trip, scheduled for this August, has the Hawkeyes traveling to Italy.
“(The
Golf Extravaganza) is a big part of funding our foreign trip,” Till
said. “This August we get the opportunity to go to Italy, which we’re
all looking forward to. It couldn’t happen without events like this.
It’s going to be really memorable, and we can’t wait to head over
there.”
The last two overseas trips saw the Hawkeyes visit Greece in 2007 and Prague, Austria, Slovakia, and France in 2011.
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