Michigan
Big Ten Championships (Day 1)
Wolverines Off to Solid Start at Big Ten Championships
4/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Site:Â Urbana, Ill.
Course:Â Stone Creek Golf Course (par 72, 6,276)
Tournament:Â Big Ten Conference Championships (Day 1 of 3)
U-M Standing:Â 4th Place of 11 Teams (302-296/598) after Day 1
Top U-M Individual:Â LeAnna Wicks, tie-3rd (72-73/145)
Next Event:Â Sat-Sun., April 27-28 -- at Big Ten Championships (Urbana, Ill.)
URBANA, Ill. -- The University of Michigan women's golf team is in fourth place after completing the first day of the Big Ten Conference Championships today (Friday, April 26) at Stone Creek Golf Course. Led by senior LeAnna Wicks' (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) two-round total of 145 (72-73) and freshman Laura Olin's (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) 146 (75-71), the Wolverines opened with a team score of 302 in the first round and dropped six strokes with a 296 in the second round to finish the first day at 598, 12 strokes off the lead. Ohio State (297-289/586) leads after the first day, followed by Purdue (294-297/591) and Indiana (305-292/597).
Laura Olin
In the first round, Wicks had an even-par 72 and Olin followed with a three-over-par 75 to lead the Wolverine charge. Senior Misia Lemanski's (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) 77, senior Bess Bowers' (Bloomington, Ind./North HS) 78 and senior Cortney Reno's (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) 78 also contributed to the Maize and Blue's first-round 302.
The second round saw Olin go low for the Wolverines as she carded a one-under 71 while Wicks remained steady with her one-over 73. Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) trimmed six strokes off her first-round score with a 76 in the second round, and Bowers followed with her own 76 to help the Wolverines finish with a 296, their lowest score ever in Big Ten Championships action.
Individually, Wicks is tied for third (72-73/145), two shots behind co-leaders Mollie Fankhauser and Lauren Knowlton of Ohio State. Olin is tied for fifth (75-71/146), Bowers is tied for 24th (78-76/154), Benedict is tied for 42nd (82-76/158), Lemanski is tied for 48th (77-82/159) and Reno is tied for 52nd (78-83/161).
The Big Ten Championships continue Saturday (April 27) with 18 holes beginning at 8 a.m. CDT. Michigan and Indiana will be paired together for the third round, with tee times running from 8:45 a.m. to 9:22 a.m. CDT. The 72-hole championship tournament wraps up with a final round Sunday (April 28).
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Ohio State 297-289 = 586
2. Purdue 294-297 = 591
3. Indiana 305-292 = 597
4. MICHIGAN 302-296 = 598
5. Michigan State 300-305 = 605
6. Illinois 307-299 = 606
Northwestern 304-302 = 606
8. Wisconsin 303-312 = 615
9. Penn State 315-306 = 621
10. Iowa 318-305 = 623
11. Minnesota 314-311 = 625
Top Individuals
1. Mollie Fankhauser, Ohio State 75-68 = 143
Lauren Knowlton, Ohio State 71-72 = 143
3. LeANNA WICKS, U-M 72-73 = 145
Karen Dennison, Indiana 75-70 = 145
5. LAURA OLIN, U-M 75-71 = 146
Caroline Laurens, Purdue 72-74 = 146
7. Malinda Johnson, Wisconsin 72-77 = 149
Heather Zielinski, Purdue 76-73 = 149
Danah Ford, Indiana 76-73 = 149
Cara Stuckey, Indiana 77-72 = 149
11. Natalie Aber, Ohio State 75-75 = 150
Beth Hermes, Purdue 76-74 = 150
Ina Kim, Northwestern 74-76 = 150
Stacy Snider, Michigan State 75-75 = 150
Other Michigan Scores
T24. Bess Bowers 78-76 = 154 T43. Kim Benedict 82-76 = 158 T48. Misia Lemanski 77-82 = 159 T52. Cortney Reno 78-83 = 161
QUOTES
Senior LeAnna Wicks
On the first day of the tournament ... "We were happy with the way that we played. We made a couple of mistakes in the first round, but we adjusted and went after them during the second round. We just wanted to play well and gain as much ground as possible. We have two rounds left so there is a lot of golf to be played. Today was a good step for us."
On her first round ... "I got up and down a lot during the two rounds. I was hitting the fairways and the greens. If I missed a green it wasn't by much. I just tried to stay focused and take it one stroke at a time."
NOTES
• Michigan's second-round team total of 296 is its best round ever at the Big Ten Championships. The Wolverines' only other sub-300 score at the league meet was a 299 in the fourth round of the 2000 event. U-M's first-round team total of 302 is its third lowest team total at the Big Ten Championships.
• Laura Olin's second-round 71 is the second best single-round total of her career.
• U-M/Indiana pairings for the third round:
8:45 -- Cortney Reno (U-M), Ambry Bishop (IU)
8:52 -- Misia Lemanski (U-M), Mary Lidester (IU)
9:00 -- Kim Benedict (U-M), Tiffany Fisher (IU)
9:07 -- Bess Bowers (U-M), Danah Ford (IU)
9:15 -- Laura Olin (U-M), Cara Stuckey (IU)
9:22 -- LeAnna Wicks (U-M), Karen Dennison (IU)
Players Mentioned
