Michigan
Big Ten Championships (Day 3)
Wicks Ties for Runner-up Honors in Trying Weather Conditions
4/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Site:Â Urbana, Ill.
Course:Â Stone Creek Golf Course (par 72, 6,215)
Tournament:Â Big Ten Conference Championships
U-M Finish:Â 3rd Place of 11 Teams (302-296-318-320/1236)
Top U-M Individual:Â LeAnna Wicks, tie-2nd (72-73-81-79/305)
Next Event:Â Thu-Sat., May 9-11 -- at NCAA Regional (Site TBD)
URBANA, Ill. -- With 40 mile per hour wind gusts and wind chills dropping into the 20s today (Sunday, April 28), senior LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) led the University of Michigan women's golf team to its best Big Ten Conference Championships finish ever as the Wolverines finished third at Stone Creek Golf Course. The Maize and Blue posted team rounds of 302, 296, 318 and 320 to close out the 72-hole tournament with a 1,236 total, its second best conference championship score ever.
LeAnna Wicks
Wicks, who tied for runner-up honors, continued to guide the Wolverines as she finished with the second best championship total in Michigan history with her 305 (72-73-81-79). Wicks was just one stroke away from taking home the individual medalist honor from Ohio State's repeat champion Mollie Fankhauser (75-68-83-78/304) as she tied for the runner-up honors with Wisconsin's Malinda Johnson (72-77-77-79/305) and Purdue's Caroline Laurens (72-74-77-82/305).
After the third round of the tournament was suspended Saturday due to rain, play was resumed at 8 a.m. CDT Sunday morning with nine holes remaining for most teams. The Wolverines vaulted themselves into the third spot after they tallied a 318 team total paced by senior Misia Lemanski's (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) six-over-par 78 and junior Kim Benedict's (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) 79.
With little time to rest and weather conditions deteriorating rapidly, the final round was immediately started and again Lemanski helped the Wolverines stay in contention as she fired a four-over 76 in the final round. Wicks added a 79 to help give the Maize and Blue a 320 final round total and its best finish ever at the championships.
The Wolverines finished 16 strokes away from Ohio State, which took home the team honors with a 1,220 championship total (297-289-317-317). Purdue finished second (294-297-310-329/1230), just six strokes ahead of the Wolverines.
In addition to Wicks' runner-up finish, Lemanski tied for 14th along with freshman Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS). Lemanski finished with a 313 total (77-82-78-76) while Olin set the mark for the best U-M freshman finish ever and second best championship score by a Wolverine rookie (75-71-83-84/313). Senior Bess Bowers was 23rd (78-76-80-82/316), Benedict was 26th (82-76-79-83/320) and senior Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile) tied for 44th (78-83-82-86/329).
The Wolverines are expected to receive their second NCAA Regional bid when NCAA selections are announced Monday (April 29). Regional sites and hosts are: Central -- Forest Akers West Course, East Lansing, Mich. (Michigan State); West -- Stanford Golf Course, Palo Alto, Calif. (Stanford); and East -- University Club, Baton Rouge, La. (Louisiana State).
Final Team Standings
1. Ohio State 297-289-317-317 = 1220
2. Purdue 294-297-310-329 = 1230
3. MICHIGAN 302-296-318-320 = 1236
4. Michigan State 300-305-326-320 = 1251
5. Illinois 307-299-332-323 = 1272
6. Indiana 305-292-335-340 = 1275
Northwestern 304-302-335-334 = 1275
8. Penn State 315-306-337-338 = 1296
Iowa 318-305-337-336 = 1296
10. Wisconsin 303-312-340-345 = 1300
11. Minnesota 314-311-334-343 = 1302
Top Individuals
1. Mollie Fankhauser, Ohio State 75-68-83-78 = 304 2. LeAnna Wicks, U-M 72-73-81-79 = 305 Malinda Johnson, Wisconsin 72-77-77-79 = 305 Caroline Laurens, Purdue 72-74-77-82 = 305 5. Lindsay Knowlton, Ohio State 71-72-79-84 = 306 6. Stacy Snider, Michigan State 75-75-82-77 = 309 7. Emily Bastel, Michigan State 74-77-80-79 = 310 Kirsten White, Ohio State 76-76-80-78 = 310 Heather Zielinski, Purdue 76-73-77-84 = 310 10. Katie Futcher, Penn State 77-77-80-77 = 311 Allison Hanna, Ohio State 76-78-78-79 = 311 12. Beth Hermes, Purdue 76-74-80-82 = 312 Hana Kim, Northwestern 77-77-80-78 = 312 14. Misia Lemanski, U-M 77-82-78-76 = 313 Laura Olin, U-M 75-71-83-84 = 313 Natalie Aber, Ohio State 75-75-81-82 = 313 Allison Fouch, Michigan State 78-76-79-80 = 313
Other Michigan Scores
T23. Bess Bowers 78-76-80-82 = 316 T26. Kim Benedict 82-76-79-83 = 320 T44. Cortney Reno 78-83-82-86 = 329
QUOTES
Head Coach Kathy Teichert
On the Big Ten Championships ... "It was a great tournament. I am really happy with our finish considering the weather conditions. The conditions were just unbelievable. We are simply just worn out right now. But even with the conditions we had I am very proud of this team in every aspect. This championship turned into a test, a test of whoever had the best attitudes. Whoever could persevere and handle the weather was going to play well. We did that. We were used to this type of weather. Practicing and competing in those situations only helped us. We really held our own out there. We would have liked to get a few strokes back here and there, but everybody was out there playing in the same conditions. It just goes with the territory. I am just really proud of this team."
Senior LeAnna Wicks
On Michigan's third-place finish ... "We're happy about it. Our goal from day one was to win Big Tens and we were right there. No one gave up and we competed each round. We can only be proud of ourselves. There are a lot of great Big Ten schools and we are among the top of that list. I am just proud of the way we played and continue to come together when we need to."
On her performance at the Big Ten Championships ... "I felt really good all weekend. The conditions were tough, but I just tried to remain patient. In the final round I really relied on my short game because I did not hit very many greens, but you just make every shot count. You have to remember to play smart. You have to set yourself up for these conditions by making sure you look for the best possible place to miss because there was so much wind. There were some out there I would have liked to have back, but I can't. I just learned from my mistakes and tried to remain focused."
Junior Kim Benedict
On Michigan's performance ... "Our goal was to win the Big Tens, but this was the highest finish by a Michigan team and that says something. We have had an outstanding season and this is just another one of those great moments. This finish is just another that we can add to the record book. Considering the weather conditions we are very happy with where we ended up. We kept pushing forward the entire tournament. I mean, everyone had to play in the same conditions, but we were already used to it, so that is what kept us going. I really felt we had an advantage and that helped us move up throughout the tournament."
On looking forward to the NCAA Regional ... "We just want to improve and get better. We are not very concerned where we end up, we are just ready to take it to the next level, to take that next step. We do not have any more classes so we can really spend the time on improving our games. We learned a lot this weekend and have been checking things on and off our lists. So we have some work to do. But now it is the regional. We need to work hard at the regional and make it to the next step, the NCAA Championship."
NOTES
• Michigan's third-place finish is the highest finish for the Wolverines at the Big Ten Conference Championships. Prior to the 2002 championship, the Wolverines' best finish was fourth in 1997.
• Michigan's 1,236 four-round Big Ten Championships team total ranks as the second best all-time in Wolverine history. The Maize and Blue recorded the lowest championship team total at the 2000 championship with a 1,216 four-round total. In the 19 Big Ten Championships, the Wolverines have broken the 1,300 barrier five times.
• Michigan's second-round team total of 296 is its best round ever at the Big Ten Conference 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.
• LeAnna Wicks' runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships ranks as the highest Wolverine finish ever. Wicks' 305 total ties her for the second best individual total. Sharon Park (1996-99) tallied the top championship total with a 302 in 1998. Park, in 1997 and 1998, along with Wendy Westfall (1994-97) in 1997, were the previous highest Michigan finishers with ties for seventh.
• Wicks' 305 tournament total is a career best for a 72-hole tournament total. Her previous best total of 315 was set at the 2001 Big Ten Championships (April 27-29, 2001).
• Laura Olin's tie for 14th at the Big Ten Championships is the highest finish ever by a Wolverine freshman at the conference tournament. Her 313 total ranks as the second best freshman total at the championships. Kim Benedict tallied a 306 total at the 2000 Big Ten Championships (April 28-30, 2000) and tied for 24th, the previous best freshman finish.
• With 11 tournaments under their belts, the Wolverines have not finished lower than fourth in the 2001-02 season. Michigan has won six of 11 tournaments and added a runner-up finish, a third-place Big Ten Championship performance and three fourth-place efforts this year.
Players Mentioned
