Weekly Release #5
10/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Upcoming Schedule
Mon-Tue., Oct. 23-24 -- at Central District Classic (Bradenton, Fla.)
End of fall season
Next on the Tee
The University of Michigan women's golf team will close out the fall season as the Wolverines head south to Bradenton, Fla., to participate in the Central District Classic, Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 23-24) at the River Wilderness Country Club. River Wilderness will be set up for a par of 72 and 6,115 yards for the 54-hole tournament.
Central District Classic Teams
There will be 11 teams participating in the Central District Classic, including seven Big Ten Conference schools. The list of participants includes: Arkansas, Baylor, Illinois, Kent, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Central District Classic Schedule
The Central District Classic will consist of 54 holes, 36 of which will be played on Monday (Oct. 23) followed by 18 on Tuesday (Oct. 24).
| Sunday, Oct. 22 | Practice Round | Times throughout the day |
| Monday, Oct. 23 | First Round | 8 a.m. (shotgun start) |
| | Second Round | 1:30 p.m. (shotgun start) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 24 | Final Round | 8 a.m. (shotgun start) |
Scoring Format
Scoring for the Central District Classic will be five players, count the low four scores each round.
The Michigan Lineup
The Wolverines will carry five players and bring one individual for the Michigan squad at the Central District Classic. Juniors Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North HS), LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) have already earned spots on the team. Sophomore Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) and freshman Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) fill up the rest of the card for the Wolverines. The week's qualifier rounds will determine the remaining spot.
School-Record Score Boosts U-M to Fifth at Shootout
Led by a career-best round of 69 from Cortney Reno, the Wolverines fired a school-record, one-under-par team total of 287 in the final round of the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10) to catapult to a fifth-place finish on the Legends of Indiana course. Michigan finished with a school-record total of 889 after opening the Shootout with a 303, tying the school record with a 299 in the second round and following with a final-round 287 to shatter the school's single-round and tournament records. The team's prior best performance was a 904 (304-300-300) at Kentucky's Lady Kat Invitational (Oct. 6-8, 1995).
All five players in the Wolverine lineup shot 75 or better in the final round on the par-72 course. Contributing to the record team score were Reno (69), Kim Benedict with a 71, Bess Bowers at 73, and LeAnna Wicks with a 74. The other player in the lineup, Sarah Kruer, carded a 75. Benedict led the charge for the Wolverines as she finished tied for 12th, carding rounds of 74-76-71 for a career-best 221 tournament total. Wicks continued her consistent play as she tied for 14th after firing rounds of 76-72-74 for a career-best 222 total. Reno's career-best 69 in the final round moved her into a tie for 21st with a career-best 224 total (76-79-69). Bowers also tied for 21st with a career-best 224 finish (77-74-73), while Kruer finished in a tie for 47th (80-77-75/232). Misia Lemanski competed as an individual and tied for 56th (77-79-79/235).
Team Records Fall at Shootout
The Wolverines have finished in the top five of three of their first four tournaments this season. That consistent play has helped the Wolverines hit new strides as records fall from weekend to weekend. Michigan's 287 total in the final round of the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10) was 12 strokes better than the previous school record of 299. The Wolverines set that record twice last season (Hawkeye Invitational, first round, April 15-16, 2000, and the Big Ten Championships, final round, April 28-30, 2000) and once this season (second round of the Shootout). Those marks were the first time in school history that the Wolverines broke the 300-stroke barrier. In addition the Wolverines' 889 team total broke the school record by 15 strokes. The team's prior best performance was a 904 (304-300-300) at the Lady Kat Invitational (Oct. 6-8, 1995).
It Must Have Been the Chicken
Junior Cortney Reno discovered the secret to the Wolverines' success after they shot a school-record 287 team total in the final round of the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10). It was the chicken.
"We ate a lot of chicken at the banquet," said Reno. "We ate a lot of fried chicken. We were the last team to leave because we ate so much chicken. Maybe that was the key for us. Other than that there really wasn't one thing. We knew our potential, and on this course you can score well and we did. It's just such a great feeling."
Battle of Averages Heats Up Even More
The battle of the scoring averages continues to heat up as the fall season comes to an end. Last season Kim Benedict led the Wolverines with a 79.24 scoring average. That mark made her just the third U-M golfer in history to average under the 80-stroke barrier for a season, joining Sharon Park (1996-99) and Wendy Westfall (1994-97). Park did it twice, averaging a school-record 78.42 (1997-98) and 79.14 (1996-97), while Westfall averaged 79.50 during the 1996-97 season.
This season, four Wolverines are already holding below 80-stroke barrier; in fact, below the 78-stroke barrier. Cortney Reno leads the team with a 76.80 stroke average, while Kim Benedict is right behind at 77.20. Bess Bowers and LeAnna Wicks both are at 77.40.
Wicks Continues to Lower Her Career Marks
Junior LeAnna Wicks once again reset her career-best round score by carding an even-par 72 in the second round at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10). Her previous best was a 73, which she shot in the previous two tournaments (Mary Fossum, Sept. 24, first round, and the Lady Northern, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, third round). Her 222 tournament finish was also a career best by 10 strokes, bettering her performance two weeks before at the Lady Northern (81-78-73/232). Wicks is tied for third on the team with a 77.40 stroke average.
Reno Sets New Career Bests
Junior Cortney Reno has carded nine of her last 10 rounds under the 80-stroke barrier, including a career-best 69 in the final round of the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10). Her previous best was a 73 in the final round of the 2000 Big Ten Championships (April 28-30, 2000). Her 224 finish at the Shootout bettered by seven strokes her previous career-best total, which was recorded earlier this season when she won the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 16-17). She finished the Wolverine Invite shooting 78-75-78 for a 231 total. She leads the team with a 76.80 scoring average.
Bowers Heating Up
Junior Bess Bowers shot four straight rounds of 77 before firing a season-best-tying 74 in the second round at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10) and then a career-best-tying 73 in the final round. The last time she shot a 73 was last season in the first round of the Hawkeye Invitational (April 15-16, 2000). Her 224 finish at the Shootout was also a career-best total by four strokes, replacing her performance last weekend at the Lady Northern (77-77-74/228). Bowers is tied for third on the team with a 77.40 stroke average.
Benedict Fires Career-Best Total
Sophomore Kim Benedict totaled a career-best three-round tournament total with her 221 at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10). She finished with rounds of 74-76-71 for the new personal best. Her previous best was a 224 (74-74-76) last season at the same tournament (Oct. 11-12, 1999). She is second on the team with a 77.20 scoring average.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
