Michigan
NCAA Championships (Day 2)
Lemanski Shoots 71 But U-M Drops in NCAA Standings
5/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Site: Auburn, Wash.
Course: Washington National Golf Club (par 72, 6,273 yards)
Tournament: NCAA Championships (Day 2 of 4)
U-M Standing: Tie-15th Place of 24 Teams (301-299/600) after Day 2
Top U-M Individual: Misia Lemanski, tie-29th (77-71/148)
Next Event: Thu-Fri., May 23-24 -- at NCAA Championships (Auburn, Wash.)
AUBURN, Wash. -- Even though rain clouds blocked the sun and then sent down showers for about a half hour, it did not stop the University of Michigan women's golf team as senior Misia Lemanski's (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) one-under-par 71 helped the Wolverines tally a 299 team total today (Wednesday, May 22) in the second round of the NCAA Women's Golf Championships at Washington National Golf Club. Despite a better score than their first-day 301, the Wolverines dropped two spots in the standings into a tie for 15th (301-299/600) as 20 of the 24 teams shot 300 or better Wednesday.
Misia Lemanski
Freshman Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) again looked strong as she finished the second round with a three-over 75. Senior Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./North HS) followed with a four-over 76 and senior LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) had a five-over 77. Junior Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard, but her score would not have counted toward U-M's team score anyway.
Benedict and Arizona State's Erin Tone were both assessed a two-stroke penalty because Tone asked Benedict to pat down a spike mark on the No. 1 green after holing out, which she did. South Carolina's Marci Robinson later asked her coach if it was an infraction and it was deemed so by the USGA because a player cannot improve the line for another player. Both players had already signed their scorecards without the assessed penalty, so they were disqualified for submitting for a lower-than-actual score for the first hole.
With the penalty, Benedict finished the round with an 82. She will still be able to compete and help the Wolverines in the third and fourth round team scores, but she has been disqualified from the individual competition after her second-round total was thrown out.
Starting off the 10th tee, Lemanski started off red hot as she finished the back nine at minus-two after birdies on 13 and 16. After making the turn, she parred the first four holes on the front during a half hour of rain on the course. After the rain stopped, Lemanski had back-to-back bogeys on 5 and 6 but birdied 7 to get back to red figures with two holes remaining. She parred out to finish with the one-under 71.
Olin parred the first two holes of the day before bogeying 12, but got back to even with a birdie on 13. She hit another snag with a double bogey on 15 but again recovered, going minus-one over the next five holes after a birdie on 2. A bogey on 3 followed with another on 8 pushed her back produced her final three-over total of 75.
Bowers went plus-five through her first 10 holes as she struggled putting. But after the rains hit, her putter was back as she played the final eight holes one-under to finish with a four-over 76. Wicks was plus-six after her first seven holes but struck back with a birdie on 17 and then 4 to bring her back to plus-four. Back-to-back bogeys on 5 and 6 pushed her back to plus-six, but a birdie on the final hole helped her finish with a five-over 77.
Individually, Lemanski is tied for 29th (77-71/148), Olin is tied for 41st (74-75/149), Bowers is tied for 57th (75-76/151) and Wicks is tied for 66th (75-77/152) in the 126-player field.
Virada Nirapathpongporn (68-69) of Duke continues to battle Georgia's Summer Sirmons (69-68) for the individual lead as they are tied for the top spot with seven-under-par totals of 137. Arizona's Lorena Ochoa (71-69) is close behind in third, just three strokes off the pace at 140. Arizona (285-296/581) still holds a six-stroke lead over Duke (294-293/587). Georgia (294-294/588) and Oklahoma (299-298/588) are tied for the third spot.
The Wolverines will continue the NCAA Championships with the third round Thursday (May 23), teeing off from the first tee beginning at 9 a.m. PDT. Michigan will be paired with California (298-303) and Southern Cal (307-294), who are tied for 17th at 601, one stroke behind the Wolverines.
Team Standings (After Day 2)
1. Arizona 285-296 = 581 (+5)
2. Duke 294-293 = 587
3. Georgia 294-294 = 588
Oklahoma 299-289 = 588
5. Florida 298-291 = 589
6. Ohio State 299-292 = 591
Texas 305-286 = 591
8. Arizona State 301-292 = 593
9. Stanford 299-295 = 594
10. Pepperdine 301-294 = 595
11. South Carolina 298-298 = 596
12. Auburn 298-300 = 598
13. Tulsa 302-297 = 599
Washington 302-297 = 599
15. MICHIGAN 301-299 = 600
Purdue 304-296 = 600
17. California 298-303 = 601
Southern Cal 307-294 = 601
19. Michigan State 305-297 = 602
Oklahoma State 299-303 = 602
21. Wake Forest 298-305 = 603
22. Vanderbilt 311-296 = 607
23. UCLA 314-297 = 611
24. South Florida 313-322 = 635
Top Individuals
1. Virada Nirapathpongporn, Duke 68-69 = 137 (-7)
Summer Sirmons, Georgia 69-68 = 137
3. Lorena Ochoa, Arizona 71-69 = 140
4. Janie Olivencia, Texas 70-71 = 141
Lindsey Wright, Pepperdine 70-71 = 141
6. Danielle Downey, Auburn 73-69 = 142
Melanie Hagewood, Baylor* 72-70 = 142
8. Laura Myerscough, Arizona 70-73 = 143
Mikaela Parmlid, Southern Cal 73-70 = 143
Alena Sharp, New Mexico State* 70-73 = 143
Andrea Vander Lende, Florida 71-72 = 143
Marcia Wallis, Stanford 70-73 = 143
* playing as an individual
Michigan Individual Scores
T29. Misia Lemanski 77-71 = 148 T41. Laura Olin 74-75 = 149 T57. Bess Bowers 75-76 = 151 T66. LeAnna Wicks 75-77 = 152 -- Kim Benedict 77-DQ
QUOTES
Head Coach Kathy Teichert
On going lower in the second round, but dropping to 15th ... "You would think that we should have gone lower, which we did. But you always have to watch out for the other teams doing the same thing. I mean, the more opportunities that we've had to play the golf course the better we really should be. You should know where you want to miss it and where you don't. But again, so do all the other schools. They are learning the same things. We actually got a pretty decent start. I was happy with the first few holes. Really, No. 15 was the kicker. We had two pars and then triple, double, double. That kind of set the stage that we really have to come back and refocus, which they really did. I thought they played much better and I could see they even missed some shots here and there and not get that discouraged. But take away those seven shots on 15 and we are right there."
On what adjustments need to made for the third round ... "You know, it just depends on which side we start on. We just need to focus and take it one shot at a time. There are just a couple of holes that we have to focus more on and get through those and we should do fine."
Senior Misia Lemanski
On the differences between today and yesterday ... "Today I didn't make any big numbers. I guess I focused more on every shot because I haven't been feeling comfortable over the ball. Some putts went in and a lot of putts did not. I just stayed steady today."
On whether the rain affected her round ... "The greens got a little slower, they got a little soppier around the hole because of where everyone was standing, but other than that the pace of play slowed up a bit. In the rain I made all pars, but when it stopped that is when I made my two bogeys. I guess I had a few miscues there, but other than that the rain didn't really affect me that much. I think it affected the other players more."
On what the Wolverines need to do tomorrow ... "As a team we all have to trust in each other that not only are we playing well, but just to keep good attitudes on the course. We can't get down on ourselves too much. We have two more days left and we just have to keep it going. It's only half over. There is plenty of golf left to be played."
Senior Bess Bowers
On her second round ... "I think today, for me, was dealing with adversity. I got myself into a couple of bad spots, but I managed to come back. I was a little worried after my front nine. I felt I hit the ball fairly well and had given myself good opportunities on the green. I mean I hit seven of the first nine greens, but I ended up 40. So, I knew if I didn't get anything going on the second nine, it could be a high score, and we can't afford to have any real high scores."
On still having some work to do despite shooting 299 ... "Yes, I mean we still have plenty of golf to play. We have 36 holes to go. That is a lot of time to make up strokes on the teams that are ahead of us. I think it is a good opportunity for us to go low and other teams to go high. One thing I feel very strongly about this team is that we can close. We are good closers. We always shoot a good last round when we have to. I think with 36 holes to go, we are going to just keep getting better and better."
NOTES
• Michigan's second-round 299 is its second best postseason team total and marks just the second time the Wolverines have broken 300 in the postseason. U-M had the lowest team total of 294 in the third round of the 2002 NCAA Central Regional (May 11).
• Misia Lemanski's one-under 71 in the second round ties her second best single-round performance. She shot 71 two other times, in the first round of the Lady Northern (Sept. 21, 2001) and in the third round of the Lady Seahawk Invitational (March 26, 2002).
• Lemanski's 71 is also the lowest round and first under-par score ever by a Wolverine in an NCAA event. LeAnna Wicks had the previous low round with an even-par 72 in the final round of the 2002 NCAA Central Regional (May 11).
Players Mentioned
