Michigan
NCAA Championships (Day 4)
Wolverines Place 17th in First NCAA Championships
5/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Site:Â Auburn, Wash.
Course:Â Washington National Golf Club (par 72, 6,273 yards)
Tournament:Â NCAA Championships
U-M Standing:Â 17th Place of 24 Teams (301-299-299-300/1199)
Top U-M Individual:Â Bess Bowers, tie-13th (75-76-69-71/291)
Next Event:Â Season completed
AUBURN, Wash. -- With a one-under 71 senior Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./North HS) used her second straight sub-par round to lead the University of Michigan women's golf team to a final-round 300 team total today (Friday, May 24) and a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Championships at Washington National Golf Club. The Wolverines finished the championships with a school-record 72-hole tournament total of 1,199, which included Bowers' Michigan-record 291 individual total. The Maize and Blue tallied team totals of 301, 299 and 299 during the first three days of the championship to help set the new mark.
Bowers, who tied for 13th, started off the four-day event by shooting 75 and 76 in the first two rounds. She then exploded, firing her career-best single-round total in the third with a three-under 69, just the second time she has carded a round under par. She made it back-to-back sub-par rounds with her one-under 71 on the final day to give her a 291 championships total, which was 11 strokes better than any other Wolverine in a 72-hole tournament. Starting off the back in the final round, Bowers opened with a bogey on No. 10 but nailed four birdies in the next eight holes to go minus-three through nine holes. After the turn, she bogeyed 1, 4 and 5 to level back to even but birdied 6 to get back in the red, where she stayed by parring the final three holes.
Freshman Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) played consistently throughout the four days, gaining more and more experience each round. Olin, who tied for 55th, led the Wolverines in the opening round with a two-over 72 and followed with back-to-back rounds of 75. In the final round, she carded a 76 to give her a 300 championships total. She went one-under through the first nine holes, after birding 11, bogeying 14 and then birding 17. After the turn, she ran into trouble as she double-bogeyed 1 and 3 to sit at plus-three. A birdie on 4 got a stroke back, but missed putts on 7 and 8 pushed her back to plus-four where she stayed after parring her final championship hole.
Senior Misia Lemanski (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) bounced back in the final round, carding a three-over 75 to help her to a 301 championships total. Lemanski, who tied for 60th, ran into trouble on the back with bogeys on 12 and 14 but parred the next seven holes. She then hit a curve as she birdied 4, bogeyed 5, birdied 6 and then double-bogeyed 7 to push her to plus-three, where she finished after parring the final two holes. She began her championships with a 77 in the first round, came back to lead the Wolverines in the second with a one-under 71 and shot 78 in the third round.
Senior LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) battled a pulled chest muscle suffered in the Central Regional all tournament but still managed to have a solid championships run as she tied for 103rd with a 310 total. She opened the championships with her best round of the tournament, a three-over 75. She followed with back-to-back rounds of 77 as her putter continued to let her down. In the final round, she carded an 81 after recording five bogeys in her first seven holes. With a 40-foot putt on 18, she recorded her only birdie of the day as she tallied four more bogeys on the front to finish with the plus-nine final round.
Junior Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) was disqualified from the individual championship for signing an incorrect scorecard in the second round, but she still had a solid NCAA performance. She opened with a five-over 77 before having her 82 disqualified after the assessed penalty. She came back with back-to-back 78s on the last two days, which would have given her a 315 total if all her scores were counted. In her final round, she was plus-six after the first six holes of the day, but a birdie on 17 cut into the deficit. After the birdie, she parred the next five holes before missing a putt on 5 for a bogey. A birdie on 7 followed by two pars helped her close out the championships with her second 78.
With a final team round of 287 Duke came from three strokes behind third-round leader Arizona to win the 2002 national championship. The Blue Devils finished with a 1,167 total after rounds of 294, 293, 290 and 287. Auburn (298-300-285-287), Texas (305-286-285-294) and Arizona (285-296-293-296) all tied for the national runner-up spot with 1170 championships totals.
Duke's Virada Nirapathpongporn won the national individual title with a nine-under 279 championships total (68-69-70-72). There was a four-way tie for the national runner-up honor as Auburn's Danielle Downey (73-69-70-72), Georgia's Summer Sirmons (69-68-73-74), Pepperdine's Lindsey Wright (70-71-71-72) and Arizona's Lorena Ochoa (71-69-71-73) all carded 284 championships totals.
The Wolverines have now completed their record-breaking 2001-02 season. In addition to the numerous records rewritten, the Maize and Blue tallied six team titles, including four straight in the fall, had three individual medalists, qualified for its second straight NCAA Regional appearance and advanced to its first-ever NCAA Championships.
Final Team Standings
1. Duke 294-293-290-287 = 1167 (+12)
2. Auburn 298-300-285-287 = 1170
Texas 305-286-285-294 = 1170
Arizona 285-296-293-296 = 1170
5. Georgia 294-294-296-292 = 1176
6. Florida 298-291-295-295 = 1179
Oklahoma 299-289-301-290 = 1179
8. Ohio State 299-292-296-293 = 1180
9. Arizona State 301-292-292-301 = 1186
Pepperdine 301-294-297-294 = 1186
11. Stanford 299-295-295-298 = 1187
12. Tulsa 302-297-296-293 = 1188
13. Oklahoma State 299-303-297-290 = 1189
14. Southern Cal 307-294-298-293 = 1192
15. California 298-303-292-300 = 1193
16. Purdue 304-296-297-301 = 1198
17. MICHIGAN 301-299-299-300 = 1199
18. Vanderbilt 311-296-296-298 = 1201
19. Michigan State 305-297-311-289 = 1202
20. Washington 302-297-305-299 = 1203
21. UCLA 314-297-298-294 = 1204
22. Wake Forest 298-305-302-301 = 1206
23. South Carolina 298-298-308-313 = 1217
24. South Florida 313-322-323-313 = 1271
Top Individuals
1. Virada Nirapathpongporn, Duke 68-69-70-72 = 279 (-9)
2. Danielle Downey, Auburn 73-69-70-72 = 284
Lindsey Wright, Pepperdine 70-71-71-72 = 284
Lorena Ochoa, Arizona 71-69-71-73 = 284
Summer Sirmons, Georgia 69-68-73-74 = 284
6. Angela Jerman, Georgia 70-74-71-70 = 285
7. Laura Myerscough, Arizona 70-73-72-71 = 286
8. Marcia Wallis, Stanford 70-73-73-71 = 287
9. Jennifer Tannehill, Oklahoma 70-75-73-70 = 288
10. Celeste Troche, Auburn 72-75-71-71 = 289
Janice Olivencia, Texas 70-71-73-75 = 289
12. Andrea Vander Lende, Florida 71-72-71-76 = 290
13. BESS BOWERS, U-M 75-76-69-71 = 291
Kristin Dufour, Texas 80-74-70-67 = 291
Martina Gillen, Kent State* 74-74-70-73 = 291
Leigh Anne Hardin, Duke 76-72-71-72 = 291
Katherine Hull, Pepperdine 74-75-72-70 = 291
Stacy Prammanasudh, Tulsa 76-72-74-69 = 291
* played as an individual
Other Michigan Individuals
T55. Laura Olin 74-75-75-76 = 300 T60. Misia Lemanski 77-71-78-75 = 301 T103. LeAnna Wicks 75-77-77-81 = 310 --- Kim Benedict 77-DQ-78-78
Michigan Individual Scorecards
BESS BOWERS Out In Total Par 544 534 434 36 434 454 354 36 72 Round 1 545 635 434 39 324 474 354 36 75 Round 2* 644 533 434 36 434 556 454 40 76 Round 3 444 534 434 35 534 344 353 34 69 Round 4* 644 643 434 38 523 354 254 33 71 LAURA OLIN Out In Total Par 544 534 434 36 434 454 354 36 72 Round 1 644 543 334 36 435 455 354 38 74 Round 2* 535 534 444 37 435 356 354 38 75 Round 3 443 535 355 37 344 455 364 38 75 Round 4* 746 434 544 41 424 464 344 35 76 MISIA LEMANSKI Out In Total Par 544 534 434 36 434 454 354 36 72 Round 1 544 533 435 36 735 456 254 41 77 Round 2* 544 545 334 37 434 354 254 34 71 Round 3 644 534 433 36 545 464 455 42 78 Round 4* 544 443 634 37 435 464 354 38 75 LeANNA WICKS Out In Total Par 544 534 434 36 434 454 354 36 72 Round 1 644 644 534 40 434 543 354 35 75 Round 2* 544 445 433 36 534 557 444 41 77 Round 3 535 634 435 38 535 454 355 39 77 Round 4* 554 644 444 40 546 455 453 41 81 KIM BENEDICT Out In Total Par 544 534 434 36 434 454 354 36 72 Round 1 564 634 334 38 643 545 354 39 77 Round 2* DQ Round 3 644 734 444 40 434 555 354 38 78 Round 4* 544 544 334 36 536 556 345 42 78
* U-M started Rounds 2 and 4 on hole No. 10
QUOTES
Head Coach Kathy Teichert
On her thoughts of the NCAA Championships ... "We were very consistent this week. With rounds of 301, 299, 299 and 300, that's pretty darn consistent. But I don't think everyone had their 'A' games all at the same time. We didn't have one of those great rounds that we have traditionally had in each of the other tournaments that we've won or did really well in. But I am so proud of these girls ... so, so proud.
"I think Bess (Bowers) had an absolutely outstanding tournament. She did great. I mean, two rounds under par and the others were 75, 76 -- that is just fantastic. Laura (Olin) was outstanding, too. She grinded out almost every single day and still managed to come out with good scores. I know she is disappointed today, but for a freshman to finish second for us ... you can't ask for much more consistency or good numbers from a freshman. That is just so great. It's awesome. I know LeAnna (Wicks) isn't happy with today, but after pulling her chest muscle at the regional she really played well all week. She was just let down in a few areas, but you can't take anything away from her performance here or from the entire year. Misia (Lemanski) had a great tournament. She led us the second day and really stepped up. She had a few snags here and there, but still she continued to come through for us. After the trouble in the second round, I thought Kim (Benedict) really maintained her composure and kept playing through and pushing ahead. She gained a tremendous amount of experience here that can only help us in the future.
"We had a very respectable tournament. There really weren't a lot of people who thought we would be here today and for that matter all year. They said 'It's just a fluke, they aren't playing against anybody, the competition isn't very good.' But when you finish 17th in the country, we have played enough people. We've played well enough to get here. We did it. For that fact alone I am proud of the program. I'm happy for the seniors leaving this program. We've come a long way. Without their hard work and determination we would not be where we are today. I am just happy for them to go out on a winning note per se ... on a great whirlwind.
"One thing people say is that once you're here they can never tell you again that you never went or competed for the national championship. This is going to open some doors for us. Now we are going to have to take advantage of those opportunities."
On seniors guiding the Michigan program to respectability ... "They have put us on the map. I think people will start looking at us when it comes around to recruiting. I think we'll have certainly enough good people in our program to help get us to this point next year again. Kim and Laura have both now been here and they are going to want to repeat that, repeat that feeling of what it is like to be here and to play with the best of the best.
"In reality, that is what each of these girls aspires to be and to play against the best. That's only going to elevate their game. I think that each of them has had to compete against each other so much this year that that is what has really helped elevate their games to the point where it is now. What we are going to have now is the incoming players as well as the returnees coming back have their games elevated to a point that we are still going to be reckoned with and we can compete. And we will compete."
Senior Bess Bowers
On her thoughts coming down the final fairway ... "I was crying ... I don't want to lie. I don't think anyone saw it, but I had tears in my eyes walking down that fairway. But I'm done! I am outta here! I was thinking all round long that it has been a fun four years and in particular this year has been a ton of fun. I could not think of a better place to play my final competitive round and to shoot a good score for my team and for the university has been wonderful."
On what the week has meant to her ... "This has meant a lot to me, especially the seniors and Kim (Benedict), who have built this program from the bottom up. It just means a lot of be here. It means a lot to end my career here. It means a lot for the seniors to end their careers here because this was the highest level we could have attained and to be here with the three other seniors, Kim and Laura (Olin) has been phenomenal. One of the things that was told to me when I left work this summer was 'Go out there and have a good senior season and play some good golf and then come back here and help us.' That is exactly what I have done. I came out and had a great senior year, played some good golf and now I am ready to move on with my life. But this is something I will never forget."
On the meaning of being at the NCAA Championships ... "It sets a standard. I would be very disappointed if the girls didn't make it back next year, if they didn't continue this tradition. We didn't work so hard to build a program that would draw recruits in and start this tradition of going to the regional each year and now nationals for it to stop after we graduate."
Senior LeAnna Wicks
On her thoughts coming down the final fairway ... "I still had four more shots in me and I had to stay calm and not get ahead of myself, but at the same time I had a million other thoughts going through my head. I just tried to block them out and think about the fairway and then the green. I left myself a fairly long putt for birdie and I just wanted to get it close to the hole. Then when I was done ... it just all came out."
On her thoughts on the NCAA Championships ... "It has been a really exciting week. Personally, I would have liked to have played better, but it's just been great to be here. It's been fun to compete against the top schools in country and kind of see how we do with them on the same course with the same conditions. I just hope the rest of the team, the returning players, have the drive and work hard to make it to Purdue next year."
On her senior season ... "It's been an exciting year. We've played better than any other year in school history. We've had our ups and downs, but we've had a lot more ups this year. We just have to put everything into perspective and realize everyone contributed in getting us to where we are today and I think everyone should be proud of themselves for that."
Senior Misia Lemanski
On her thoughts on her final hole ... "All I thought about was getting the ball on the green pretty much, which was my problem all day today. I didn't really think about it being my last hole. I kind of did, but not really. I kind of wanted to make the birdie putt but left it short."
On the NCAA Championships ... "This is a major steppingstone for us. You can't get really any further than this and just to know that we are 17th in the country just means so much for this program and what we've become since our freshman year. I mean, we were 10th at Big Tens our freshman year and now we are 17th in the country. That means a lot."
Junior Kim Benedict
On the meaning the NCAA Championships for the program ... "For the program it is awesome because we get a ton of exposure. We are doing really well and finished here better than people would have thought. So, hopefully, we can keep it up next year but I think it is very important for everyone to see we have a good program even though we are in the North. It just shows that we can play, and play well, with the teams from the south."
On her NCAA Championships performance ... "The circumstances are kind of unfortunate. As long as the disqualification only affected me in the tournament and not the team was a good thing. That was for me to deal with. I'm just glad it did not affect the team in any way. I glad I could count today. I really don't care about what I particularly did. This is a team thing and I care more about the team than how I did as an individual. As long as I can count for the team that is okay."
On thoughts for next year ... "It will be really tough to lose so many seniors considering they have been here for four years and the gradual progression they have helped establish has been awesome for the this program. I have thought about next year a little bit and it really depends on who steps up. It depends on who wants it and that is up in the air. I know Laura (Olin) and I are going to work our butts off over the summer to get back here knowing how much fun this experience was. We are just going to have to wait and see."
Freshman Laura Olin
On her thoughts on the NCAA Championships ... "It was a good tournament. I think that overall we might be a little disappointed with the way we finished because we set the goal of finishing in the top 10, but everybody put their hearts into it and played the best they could and you can't ask for anything more than that. It means so much to our program. You have to remember the fact we actually got here is amazing. We worked so hard all season long and we kept pushing each tournament. I hope the freshmen coming in and the girls that are back home will have an impact on the program. We just have to continue with what we left off and there should be no reason why we couldn't get back here next year. This year has taken us to a whole new level and to stay at this level everyone has to want it, including the players, the coaches, the families, everyone."
NOTES
• Michigan's 1,199 NCAA Championships total set the U-M record for a 72-hole tournament by 17 strokes. The national total bettered the old record of 1,216 set at the 2000 Big Ten Conference Championships (April 28-30, 2000).
• Bess Bowers' 291 NCAA Championships total set the U-M record for a 72-hole tournament by 11 strokes. Bowers' total bettered the old mark of 302 set by Sharon Park (1996-99) at the 1998 Big Ten Conference Championships (May 1-3, 1998). In addition, Laura Olin's and Misia Lemanski's championships total of 300 and 301, respectively, also surpassed Park's former school mark.
• Bowers' one-under 71 in the final round of the NCAA Championships ties her second best career single-round total and marks her second straight round under par. In addition, her 71 final round total was the third time she fired a tournament round under par. She set a career best in the third round of the NCAA Championships with a three-under 69. He other career round under par was a 71 in the second round of the Hawkeye Invitational (April 13-14, 2002).
• Bowers' third-round 69 ended up tying for the eighth lowest round of the entire tournament. Three players shot 67, four carded rounds of 68, and seven posted 69s.
• Michigan says farewell to five seniors: Stephanie Bezilla (Grandville, Mich./Grandville HS), Bess Bowers, Misia Lemanski, Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) and LeAnna Wicks. The five were part of nine team titles in four years. That is half of the 18 total victories in school history.
Players Mentioned
