Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll Position: Head Coach Experience: 11th Year

As she enters her 11th season at the helm, Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll continues to carry the Spartan women's golf program into the regional and national spotlight year after year.

The driven former Spartan player was named head coach on June 20, 1997, and immediately began assembling the talent necessary to contend for Big Ten Championships and compete at the national level on a yearly basis. In 10 seasons, she has led the Spartans to nine straight NCAA regional appearances, (1999-2007), six treks to the NCAA Championships, (2000, `01, `02, `03, `05. `07) and two Big Ten titles (2001, 2007). In addition, MSU has won 19 tournaments during this span, including four during the 2000-01 season and three in 1998-99, 2001-02 and 2003-04.

"I believe that each year it is my responsibility to improve as a recruiter, a teacher, a sports psychologist, a motivator and a leader," said Slobodnik-Stoll. "We must keep up and be on the cutting edge for our student-athletes and our program. Once you have tasted victory, it's hard to forget. It only drives me to work harder to make sure that each year we will have an opportunity to win the Big Ten Championship and finish as one of the top programs in the country.

"Those rushes that you have as a coach and as a player -- holding the trophy, seeing the Academic All-American awards given out -- those moments are unforgettable. It drives you and the players to become better and better."

Over the last nine years, Slobodnik-Stoll's players have earned All-Big Ten honors 19 times, including three Spartans in 2004 (Allison Fouch - first team and Ann Marie Kersten and Sarah Martin - second team) and 2007 (Sara Brown - first team and Mandi McConnell and Rachel Meikle - second team). In 2002, Emily Bastel became the first Spartan golfer to receive Big Ten Women's Golf Athlete of the Year honors. In addition, a Spartan player took home Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 1998 (Kasey Gant), 1999 (Bastel) and 2003 (Dayna Burleigh). In 2001, Gant became the first Spartan golfer to earn All-Big Ten honors in four-consecutive years, while Bastel became the second to achieve the feat.

Individual accolades for Slobodnik-Stoll's players keep growing year by year. Bastel became just the second MSU golfer to be named to the Curtis Cup team in 2002, while Allison Fouch qualified for the 2003 U.S. Women's Open Championship as an amateur. Bastel and Fouch also earned All-America honors under Slobodnik-Stoll, as Bastel received second-team distinction in 2002 and Fouch earned honorable mention status in 2004. Slobodnik-Stoll's players have also gone beyond the college ranks. Stacy Snider competed on the LPGA Tour from 2004-06 and Bastel completed her rookie year on the LPGA Tour in 2005 and is currently on the FUTURES Tour. Fouch is a member of the FUTURES Tour and has conditional status on the LPGA Tour.

The 2007 Spartans were ranked among the nation's top 25 throughout the season, achieving a final ranking of 19th after a 16th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The team posted wins on their home course, Forest Akers West Golf Course, in the Lady Northern and the Big Ten Championships, and finished in second place four times. Two individuals won medallist honors, with Sara Brown winning the Landfall Tradition and Rachel Meikle winning the Big Ten Championship - the second time an MSU golfer has won the tournament under Slobodnik-Stoll. In the process, Slobodnik-Stoll earned her second Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year award.

The 2006 edition of Michigan State women's golf was also one of the most exciting teams in school history. The Spartans opened the season by not only winning the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 17-18) but setting a tournament record with a three-day team total of 889 (299-295-295). Later in the season at the Northwestern Invitational (April 3-4), MSU had their best scoring weekend in school history. The Spartans had a school-record three-day team total of 864 (286-286-292) and Rachel Meikle set a school individual record for a 54-hole tournament with a score of 6-under-par 210 (70-70-70).

A youthful squad in 2004-05, State did not have a single senior as a member of the traveling party, yet advanced to the NCAA Championships for the fifth time in six years en route to a 17th-place finish that season. In addition to the NCAA Championships, MSU closed out the season with a championship at the Buckeye Invitational (April 16-17), a third-place showing at the Big Ten Championship (April 22-24) and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Central Regionals (May 5-7).

The 2003-04 squad, which finished ranked 19th in the Golfweek/Sagarin poll, won three tournament titles (Badger, Mary Fossum and Boilermaker) and also captured the Spartan/Wildcat Cup in February. MSU placed third at both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Central Regionals, while advancing to the NCAA Championships. MSU's third-place showing in regional play equaled the team's best-ever showing. Three Spartans (Allison Fouch - first team; Ann Marie Kersten and Sarah Martin - second team) picked up All-Big Ten accolades and Fouch earned honorable mention All-America honors after placing tied for 16th at the 2004 NCAA Championships.

Although the team included just four returning letterwinners, the Spartans finished in the top 10 in nine of 11 tournaments including a season-best third-place showing at the Mary Fossum Invitational in 2002-03. It also marked MSU's fifth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Regional Championships where the Spartans fell just short of advancing to the NCAA Championships. In addition, four Spartans earned Academic All-Big Ten honors -- the most by the squad since the 1987 season and two players (Ann Marie Kersten and Jessica Till) were selected to the NGCA Academic All-America squad.

Michigan State made its third straight trip to the NCAA Championships in 2002, where the Spartans placed 19th. MSU, which finished the year ranked 14th by Golfweek/Sagarin, also hosted the 2002 NCAA Central Region Championships at Forest Akers West Golf Course in May. Overall, MSU captured three titles (Pine Needles Invitational, Central District Classic and the USF Waterlefe Invitational).

Slobodnik-Stoll's work ethic paid off in the spring of 2001 as she led MSU to its first Big Ten Championship since 1982. The Spartans placed third at the NCAA West Regionals and posted the school's best-ever finish at the NCAA Championships with a 12th-place showing. MSU finished the year ranked 16th in the Mastercard Collegiate rankings, while Golfweek had MSU ranked 19th. For her efforts, Slobodnik-Stoll was named the 2001 Big Ten Coach of the Year.

During the 1999-2000 season, Slobodnik-Stoll led MSU to a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championship and its first NCAA Championship appearance since 1984. The Spartans also broke into the national rankings for the first time and finished the year ranked 19th in the country.

Slobodnik-Stoll's first season (1997-98) as head coach was highlighted by a second-place finish in the newly-named Mary Fossum Invitational in the fall and a record-setting campaign by then-freshman Kasey Gant.

That success multiplied in 1998-99, however, as the Spartans engineered the biggest one-year turnaround in Big Ten history (ninth to third in the conference tournament). Michigan State reached the NCAA East Regional that year as well and Slobodnik was named Midwest District Coach of the Year.

A three-year letterwinner at Michigan State, the Kentwood, Mich., native captained the 1992-93 and 1993-94 Spartan squads and shot 11 rounds in the 70s during her final campaign at MSU. After earning her bachelor's degree in communication in 1994, Slobodnik-Stoll played professionally while living in Orlando, Fla. She saw action on the Future's Tour and the Central Florida Challenge for one year prior to returning to MSU in 1995 as an assistant to the legendary coach Mary Fossum.

"One of the goals when I came back as an assistant was to learn everything I could from Mary (Fossum) and use her tools while incorporating my knowledge and philosophy as well. Mary is a special person, and I can't thank her enough for all she's done for me."

Slobodnik-Stoll had the opportunity to gain international coaching experience during the summer of 2002 as she served as the head coach for Team USA in the USA-Japan Matches at the Glen Club in Glenville, Ill.

The Spartan coach also continues to hone her own golf game, winning Michigan State Amateur titles in 1996 and 1998 en route to earning Golf Association of Michigan Player of the Year.

Slobodnik-Stoll has qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship four times (1994, 1996, 1998, 2001) and in 1997, she participated as an amateur at the LPGA Oldsmobile Classic at Walnut Hills Country Club in East Lansing and fired a 77-73, missing the cut by just four strokes.

In 1996, Slobodnik-Stoll finished fourth among amateurs at the Michigan Women's Open Tournament and in 1998, she won the Golf Association of Michigan Women's Stroke Play Championship. She was the top amateur finisher at the 2004 Michigan Women's Open Championship.

Born Sept. 8, 1971, Slobodnik-Stoll received her master's degree in sports administration from MSU in 1999. She resides in Haslett with her husband Jim Stoll and daughter Olivia, born Sept. 29, 2003.