Weekly Release #7
2/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Upcoming Schedule
Mon-Tue., Feb. 24-25 -- at Central District Classic (Parrish, Fla.)
Mon-Tue., March 10-11 -- at UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (Coto de Caza, Calif.)
Next on the Tee: Central District Classic
The University of Michigan women's golf team will head south for its second spring tournament as the Wolverines will compete in the Central District Classic at the River Wilderness Country Club in Parrish, Fla. The 15-member field, hosted by Michigan State and Northwestern, will feature seven Big Ten Conference teams. The tournament will be 54 holes Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 24-25). River Wilderness will be set up for a par of 72 and 6,113 yards.
The Central District Classic Field
The Central District Classic features 15 teams from across the NCAA Central District: Baylor, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kent, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
The Central District Classic Schedule
The Central District Classic will consist of 54 holes, 36 being played Monday (Feb. 24) and a final 18 Tuesday (Feb. 25). Competition is scheduled for an 8 a.m. shotgun start each day.
| Sunday, Feb. 23 | Practice Round | Tee times throughout the day |
| Monday, Feb. 24 | First Round | 8:00 a.m. (shotgun start) |
| | Second Round | 1:00 p.m. (shotgun start) |
| Tuesday, Feb. 25 | Final Round | 8:00 a.m. (shotgun start) |
The Central District Classic Scoring Format
Scoring for the Central District Classic will be five players, count the low four scores each round.
The Michigan Lineup at the Central District Classic
The Wolverines will carry five players for the Michigan squad at the Central District Classic. Sophomore Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS), senior Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) and freshman Amy Schmucker (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori HS) will head up the Michigan squad. Fifth-year senior Stephanie Stasik (Lubbock, Texas/Coronado HS) and junior Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) round out the rest of the five-member Maize and Blue squad.
Last Year at the Central District Classic: Olin on Par as U-M Takes Fourth
The Wolverines jumped up two spots in a very tough field on the final day of the 2002 Central District Classic (Feb. 25-26) at the River Wilderness Country Club in Parrish, Fla., finishing in fourth place with a score of 903. The Wolverines sat in sixth place behind Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, but a third-round team score of 299 boosted the Maize and Blue past OU and Texas A&M into fourth. The Wolverines received a lift from Laura Olin, who shot a team-low, even-par 72 in the third round en route to a tie for fourth place individually. Olin's round culminated a strong tournament in which she collected a total score of 220 (75-73-72), just four strokes off the lead, for the first top-five finish of her career. Every Michigan player shot 78 or better in the final round, securing the Wolverines' first sub-300 score of the spring season. Misia Lemanski followed her first-round score of 77 with rounds of 73 and 74 to tie for 10th place with a total of 224. Cortney Reno fired back-to-back rounds of 75 on the first day and added a 78 for a 228 total and tie for 26th.
Last Time on the Links: Final Round Get Rained Out at Northrop Regional
With rain and inclement weather canceling the final-day round of the Northup Grumman Regional Challenge at Palos Verdes Country Club in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., the Wolverines kept their two-day, 36-hole total of 675 (340-335/675) and finished 18th in their first spring tournament. Laura Olin led the Wolverines, shooting 84 on the first day before shaving three strokes for a second-round 81. She finished the tournament tied for 70th with a total of 165. Kim Benedict shot the best Michigan score on the first day with an 83 but slipped to 85 on the second day to give her a two-day total of 168 and a 79th-place finish. Amy Schmucker tied for 83rd (86-84/170), Stephanie Stasik tied for 86th (87-85/172) and Sarah Kruer tied for 88th place (88-85/173).
Wolverines Add Anteaters to Schedule
After having the final round rained out at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Michigan head coach Kathy Teichert has added an additional tournament to the Wolverines' schedule to make up for the lost round. The Maize and Blue will travel to Coto de Caza, Calif., to participate in the inaugural UC Irvine Anteater Invitational, Monday and Tuesday (March 10-11) at Coto de Caza Country Club. The 54-hole tournament will be played on the North Course.
Maize and Blue Continues to Improve
Michigan's 908 Women's Collegiate Shootout (Oct. 7-8) total lowered the season-best 54-hole total by two strokes, bettering the 910 tallied at the Lady Northern (Sept. 28-29). Michigan's second-round team total of 299 marked a season best, topping the 300 in the second round at the Lady Northern. The 299 is the 21st time in school history the Maize and Blue has scored under 300. The Wolverines are averaging 311.64 per team round.
Olin Stays Consistent
Laura Olin has finished as the top Wolverine in five of the six events this year. Her best finish was a tie for fourth at the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15). Olin's 223 total at the Women's Collegiate Shootout (Oct. 7-8) reset her season best by four strokes. Her previous best was 227 tallied at the Lady Northern (Sept. 28-29). She leads the team with 76.64 strokes per round.
Benedict Keeps Going and Going
Kim Benedict played in her 43rd consecutive tournament for the Wolverines at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. She is averaging 77.88 per round, which is second on the team. During the fall season she recorded two top-10 finishes -- fifth at the Lady Northern (Sept. 28-29) and tied for eighth at the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15). She had a season-best 223 total at the Lady Northern.
Schmucker Making Most of First Half
Amy Schmucker has made the most of her first six collegiate tournaments, as she is third on the team with a 79.00 scoring average. She had a career-best 229 total in her first collegiate tournament at the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15), where she posted her career-best finish with a tie for fourth. She also recorded a career-best single round score of 74 in the final round of the Women's Collegiate Shootout (Oct. 7-8).
Benedict Named 2002 GAM Women's Player of the Year
Kim Benedict was named the 2002 Golf Association of Michigan Women's Player of the Year in December after taking home medalist honors at the 2002 GAM Women's Championship last summer. The senior Wolverine captured her second GAM Women's Championship title on Aug. 19-20, winning by five strokes after firing rounds of 75-72 for a 147 championship total at Chemung Hills Country Club in Howell, Mich. Benedict finished ahead of Michigan State women's golf coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll (80-72/152) and former U-M teammates Misia Lemanski (74-78/152) and LeAnna Wicks (76-77/153). Benedict also won the GAM Women's Championship trophy after in 1999. She placed third in 2001 and fourth in 2000.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
