Florida International University Women's Golf

Vogel enters his 10th season with the Panthers in 2015-16, with a squad thats arguably one of the strongest of his tenure. During the 2014-15 season, Vogels squad had a total of five, top-three finishes as a team, which included a first-place finish at the Amelia Island Collegiate on Feb. 25. In the squads final event of the season, the Conference USA Championships, FIU earned a second-place finish and Meghan MacLaren won the C-USA Individual title. MacLaren went on to make a memorable NCAA Championships appearance, as she shot a fourth round score of 74, to finish 25th overall in a field of 131 competitors. The junior became just the seventh athlete in program history to finish in the top 25 at an NCAA Championship, and the first since Moira Dunn in 1994. In FIUs inaugural season in C-USA during the 2013-14 campaign, the Panthers earned five top-five finishes as a team in tournaments, including a fourth place finish in the squads first appearance at the C-USA Championships. Vogels team earned a first-place finish at the Amelia Island Collegiate, as the Panthers shot five-under par as a team to earn a top finish in the 14-team field. At FIUs annual Pat Bradley Invitational, Vogel helped lead Arias as a freshman to the tournament title, as she finished six-under par for the championship. Serrano, who won the Amelia Island Collegiate, was named a second team All-C-USA selection while MacLaren took home third team honors. Serrano was also tabbed the Conferences Freshman of the Year. During the 2012-13 season, FIU won four tournaments, including the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championship, which equaled a single-season record under Vogel. Vogel was also named the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year as his team qualified for the NCAA East Regional. His 2008-09 squad also won four tournaments. In total, Vogels FIU teams have won 13 tournaments since 2006-07. A longtime PGA member, Vogel began his tenure as FIUs sixth all-time womens golf coach in August 2006 and has continually elevated the Panthers program in both conference play and against national intercollegiate competition. At the 2013 SBC Womens Golf Championship, FIU dominated the field leading wire to wire and winning by 16 strokes over the second-place finisher. In addition, then-freshman Meghan MacLaren became FIUs first individual champion finishing the 54 holes at four-under par. FIU wound up with three golfers in the top five, MacLaren, freshman Sophie Godley (4th) and senior Tania Tare (5th), with each being selected to the All-Tournament Team. All five 2012-13 starters were named to the All-Conference team, in addition to Vogels Coach of the Year honor. The SBC title marked the fourth time in 2012-13 that the Panthers swept team and individual titles in a tournament. FIU was victorious in the fall at the Michigan Wolverine Invitational, the 35th Annual FIU Pat Bradley Invitational and at the University of Hawaiis Rainbow Wahine Invitational. In 2011-12, the Panthers were regarded as one of the top three programs in the conference and had two of the leagues top players, All-Sun Belt selections Katie Mundy, an NCAA Division I Womens Golf Championship individual qualifier, and present junior Shelby Coyle, a former SBC Freshman of the Year in 2011.The level of recruits now attracted to play for FIU under Vogel assist with the historically-successful program as it continues competition with Conference USA. Finding or mentoring young golfers is certainly not new to Vogel, who is also the Founder and President of the South Florida Junior Golf Foundation (SFJGF) in Plantation, Fla. Since 2001, the SFJGF, a non-profit established to actively introduce golf and work with more than 8,500 juniors for over 10 years. In a partnership with Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County schools, he has introduced golf free of charge to students in 33 local elementary and middle schools. Vogel also teaches groups and individuals at the SFJGF Academy located at Jacaranda Country Club in Plantation, Fla. Vogel was the recipient of the PGA Southern Chapters 2004 Junior Golf Leader award for his consistent work with junior golfers in the South Florida region. U.S. kids Golf also nominated Vogel for the Top 50 junior golf instructors award. In 2002, he was awarded the PGA Foundations Growth of the Game Award. Whether as a teaching professional, where he is a long-time PGA member, Vogel has been a highly-successful fixture for golf in South Florida spanning the last four decades. Vogel was also the director of the South Florida Junior Golf Academy at Jacaranda Golf Club for a period of eight years and coached the U.S. Kids World Championship South Florida Team to a second place world finish in 2002. He also served as the Southern Chapter president (1995-97) and on the board for the South Florida Section of the PGA. He has mentored several winners of major junior golf tournaments like the Doral-Publix in Miami; The Future Masters in Dothan, Ala.; U.S. Kids World Championship at Jekyll Island, Ga.; Pepsi Little People in Quincy, Ill.; The European Tour Championship in Chester, England. Several others have earned college golf scholarships at Wake Forest, Duke, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. He began his coaching career as the head golf professional at Pine Island Ridge Country Club from 1989-96 and then as director of golf at the Will Neel Golf Academy/Hope Worldwide Golf Academy until 2001.Vogel received his bachelors degree in corporate management from Florida Atlantic University in 1983, became a Class-A member of the PGA in 1988 and earned his masters certificate in golf instruction from the Will Neel Academy in 1999. 

Cleary returned to the FIU Athletics program as the Director of Operations for the FIU Golf, Tennis and Track & Field/Cross Country teams in September of 2010. She added the Swimming & Diving program to her responsibilities in 2013. Previously, Nika worked as the Senior Operations Assistant for FIU Football during the 2007-2010 seasons.   Nika is responsible for all operational activities for the FIU Golf, Swimming & Diving, Tennis and Track & Field/Cross Country teams. She coordinates team and recruiting travel arrangements and logistics including hotel, transportation, and meals; oversees the student-athlete academics; monitors each team budget, orders, inventories, and distributes team uniforms and equipment; and acts as main contact for home events. Nika has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Management at FIU.       Nika Cleary Director of Operations Nika Cleary returned to the FIU Athletics program as the Director of Operations for the FIU Golf, Tennis and Track & Field/Cross Country teams in September of 2010. She added the Swimming & Diving program to her responsibilities in 2013. Previously, Nika worked as the Senior Operations Assistant for FIU Football during the 2007-2010 seasons.   Nika is responsible for all operational activities for the FIU Golf, Swimming & Diving, Tennis and Track & Field/Cross Country teams. She coordinates team and recruiting travel arrangements and logistics including hotel, transportation, and meals; oversees the student-athlete academics; monitors each team budget, orders, inventories, and distributes team uniforms and equipment; and acts as main contact for home events. Nika has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Management at FIU.