Michigan
Wolverine Invitational
Baylor Fends Off Michigan for Wolverine Invitational Title
9/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich.
Course:Â University of Michigan Golf Course (par 73, 5962 yards)
Tournament:Â Wolverine Invitational (Day 2)
U-M Standing:Â 2nd Place of 12 Teams (323-317-320/960)
Top U-M Individual:Â Cortney Reno, 1st (78-75-78/231)
Next Event:Â Sat-Sun., Sept. 23-24 -- at Mary Fossum Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Even with clear skies and warm weather conditions, the winds proved to be a factor as the University of Michigan women's golf team could not catch Baylor for the team title at the final round of the Wolverine Invitational Sunday (Sept. 17) at the U-M Golf Course.
The Michigan Blue team finished nine strokes behind champion Baylor after the Wolverines fired team rounds of 323-317-320 for a 960 total. The Bears won the title after shooting rounds of 320-315-316 for a 951 total. Arkansas-Little Rock (335-328-318/981) finished third. Michigan's Maize team played consistent golf, firing back-to-back-to-back rounds of 345 for a 1,035 tournament total that was good for eighth place in the 12-team event.
But despite not raising the team trophy, U-M junior Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) took home the individual medalist honors, winning by three strokes after posting scores of 78-75-78 for a 231 total. Baylor's Hanna Svenningson (80-76-78/234) and Tara Bateman (78-78-80/236) battled Reno down the stretch, but could not catch her as they finished in the runner-up and third positions, respectively.
The title is the first in the career of Reno and marks the first time since 1996 a Wolverine has raised a tournament trophy. Former Michigan star Sharon Park (1996-99) won the last Michigan title at the 1996 Lady Badger Invitational at Wisconsin (Sept. 28-29). Reno's win also makes her the first Wolverine to take home the Wolverine Invitational title since Wendy Bigler won the 1991 tournament. (Note: there was no tournament from 1992-95.)
Sophomore Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) and senior Trish Watkins (Darien, Conn./Darien HS) also had strong finishes as they both posted top-10 scores. Benedict, part of Michigan's Blue team, finished sixth after carding rounds of 81-77-82 for a 240 total. Watkins, a Maize team member, finished ninth after firing descending rounds of 82-81-80 for a 243 total.
The Wolverines continue their fall season with a stop in East Lansing, Mich., for the Mary Fossum Invitational on Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 23-24) at the Forest Akers West Course.
Team Standings
1. Baylor 320-315-316 = 951 2. Michigan (Blue) 323-317-320 = 960 3. Arkansas Little-Rock 335-328-318 = 981 4. Ohio 340-324-334 = 998 5. Eastern Michigan 348-334-329 = 1011 6. Toledo 341-335-342 = 1018 7. Xavier 339-345-345 = 1029 8. Michigan (Maize) 345-345-345 = 1035 9. Western Michigan 355-350-338 = 1043 10. Bowling Green 357-347-345 = 1049 11. Cincinnati 343-356-351 = 1050 12. Grand Valley State 362-359-356 = 1077
Top Individuals
1. Cortney Reno, U-M (Blue) 78-75-78 = 231 2. Hanna Svenningson, Baylor 80-76-78 = 234 3. Tara Bateman, Baylor 78-78-80 = 236 4. Sofia Josefsson, UALR 81-83-75 = 239 Melanie Hagewood, Baylor 81-80-78 = 239 6. Kim Benedict, U-M (Blue) 81-77-82 = 240 7. Kelly Pickett, Eastern Mich. 84-80-77 = 241 Julee Sovesky, Ohio 84-77-80 = 241 9. Trish Watkins, U-M (Maize) 82-81-80 = 243 10. Maria Jose Hurtado, UALR 86-80-78 = 244 Melissa Beck, Xavier 77-85-82 = 244
Michigan Blue Team Individual Scores
1. Cortney Reno 78-75-78 = 231 6. Kim Benedict 81-77-82 = 240 T12. Bess Bowers 81-82-82 = 245 T16. Misia Lemanski 83-84-80 = 247 T16. LeAnna Wicks 84-83-80 = 247 T19. Sarah Kruer 83-86-82 = 251
Michigan Maize Team Individual Scores
9. Trish Watkins 82-81-80 = 243 T24. Amy Talbot 88-81-84 = 253 28. Sarah Rector 81-89-87 = 257 T64. Stephanie Bezilla 94-94-94 = 282
NOTES
• Baylor ended up shooting the best team score in each of the three rounds. The Bears' first-round 320 was three shots better than Michigan's 323, their 315 in the second round nipped the Wolverines by two, and their third-round 316 was two strokes better than Arkansas-Little Rock's 318.
• Sophia Josefsson of Arkansas-Little Rock carded a two-over-par score of 75 in the final round to match Michigan's Cortney Reno for the low round of the tournament. Reno, the only player to post three rounds in the 70s, shot her 75 in the second round.
• Wolverine freshman Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) made her collegiate debut, finishing tied for 19th after playing on the second-place Michigan Blue team. She carded rounds of 83-86-82 for a 251 total.
• Including last season's final run, the Wolverines have finished as the tournament runner-up in three of their last five tournaments.
QUOTES
Head Coach Kathy Teichert
On the runner-up finish ... "I am disappointed. I thought we could have won this tournament. Going into this tournament our goal and focus was to win; that was going to be the expectation. However, we were not going to be taking this tournament lightly. Our focus was on making sure we took it one shot at a time, set up our game plan with good course management and give it 100 percent. After following those, if we came out with a win we would be excited about that, but unfortunately that didn't happen."
On handing the trophy over to Cortney Reno ... "I was very, very happy to do that. Cortney played extremely well. We are extremely proud. She hadn't won a championship here yet at the University and I know she probably had some jitters in her stomach from last night and going into today. But what better player to have than Cortney win this tournament She has worked extremely hard on her game and has put in many, many hours on it and I am just so happy for her."
On the excitement her squad brings ... "This group is and is going to be a very special group. We have more team leadership, the girls are a year older, they have been playing extremely well over the summer and they have been playing extremely well on our golf course. With that being said, we are looking forward to the rest of the year and to the future."
Junior Cortney Reno
On winning medalist honors ... "I did not really think about it. It was more of Coach [Kathy Teichert] drilling in our heads that we wanted to win this as a team and not an individual. So, that was really what I was thinking about. I just stayed real patient and didn't try to force anything and luckily came out on top."
On not capturing the team title ... "It's a little disappointing. That was our goal coming in, but we tried our best and we just came up a little short."
On the team's expectations ... "Most of our team has played two years here so we have a lot of tournament experience. So we have some pretty good expectations for the rest of the season. We've played well before so there is no reason not to do it again and again. We've all been working hard and improving and we just have to go out there and do what we are capable of."
Sophomore Kim Benedict
On the Wolverines' performance ... "No one is satisfied. No way. Baylor may have played well in the wind, but this was our home course and we could have played better and we should have played better. I think the only person that would be satisfied with their play would be Cortney [Reno]. We are going to play better. This was just a taste of what is to come."
Players Mentioned
