UIS hires Inkel-Pongracz as women’s golf coach

April 22, 2009
By Michael Omenazu
Sports Reporter

The UIS athletic department recently announced that Nichole Inkel-Pongracz has been hired as coach of the women’s golf team.
Inkel-Pongracz’s experience includes running Chatham’s Glenwood High School girls’ golf team from 2001-09. Within that time, she proved herself to be a model of consistency as she garnered six conference championships, a regional championship, and the only Sangamon County Tournament title ever, all while going undefeated in a pair of seasons.

Her success as a coach is reflective of her playing career. At Springfield High School, she qualified for the state tournament and finished in the top ten as an individual all four years. Inkel-Pongracz was also a member of the 1984 and 1985 Senator teams that finished as the state runner-up.
Along with her outstanding prep career, Inkel-Pongracz is a four-time Springfield City Champion and 13-time runner-up, a four-time Central Illinois Amateur champion, eight-time Club Champion at Illini Country Club, four-time Central Illinois Country Club Association Champion, four-time Edgewood Open Champion and four-time Shambolee Open Champion.
While her solid resume speaks for itself, Athletic Director Rodger Jehlicka expressed enthusiasm over the new hire saying, “We are thrilled to have Nichole joining the Prairie Star athletic family.”

Her background and familiarity is expected to bring about multiple benefits.  Jehlicka noted, “Nichole brings a wealth of golf knowledge and coaching experience to our women’s program and we know how much that will benefit our student-athletes immediately. Her knowledge of the Central Illinois golf community will also be a tremendous benefit in terms of recruiting.”

She also highlights another benefit to her knowledge of Central Illinois, saying, “I’ve coached some of our opponents and I know their games, and I know the links.”

Speaking of her own players, she commented on their previous lack of structure saying, “There was no set schedule and no one really here to help.”

However, operating under a philosophy that places little emphasis on the past and more focus into the future, she adds, “We plan to end the year on a good note and we are really looking forward to a strong summer and next year.”

She believes this can be accomplished by improving the performance in the mental aspect of the game and through team bonding. A goal she desires to attain is for the girls is to shoot in the 80’s, a realistic aspiration as the girls are good off the tee.

No stranger to low shooting, Inkel-Pongracz holds the women’s course record of 67 at The Rail Golf Course, the home to UIS golf, and has posted the women’s lowest score in ‘The Round the Town’ Tournament with a 64.
A pioneer in the Central Illinois golf community, Inkel-Pongracz became the first female to qualify for the boy’s championship flight in Drysdale tournament as a prep and became the first woman to play in State Farm Rail Shoot out and first participant to have a “hole in one.” 

Inkel-Pongracz plans to translate her past achievements into a bright future for the Women Prairie Star golfers.

Inkel-Pongracz comes to UIS following the resignation of former men’s and women’s golf coach Jay Davis. Davis resigned on March 27