Weekly Release #9

Upcoming Schedule
Sun-Tue., March 23-25 -- at Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational (Lakeway, Texas)
Sat-Sun., April 5-6 -- at Indiana Invitational (Bloomington, Ind.)

Next on the Tee: Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational
After notching its second best finish of the season last week at the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational, the University of Michigan women's golf team will compete in the prestigious Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational, Sunday through Tuesday (March 23-25) at The Hills Country Club in Lakeway, Texas. The 54-hole tournament, hosted by Texas, will feature 12 teams ranked in the top 100 by GolfWeek around the country, including four ranked in the top 25. The course will be set up for a par of 72 and 6,247 yards.

The Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational Field
The Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational features 12 teams: No. 43 Arkansas, No. 87 Kansas, No. 55 Michigan, No. 35 Michigan State, No. 47 Northwestern, No. 20 Ohio State, No. 23 Oklahoma, No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 92 SMU, No. 7 Texas, No. 53 Texas A&M and No. 32 UNLV.

The Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational Schedule
The Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational will consist of 54 holes, 18 holes being played each day, starting Sunday (March 23) and finishing Tuesday (March 25).

Saturday, March 22	Practice Round	Tee times throughout the day
Sunday, March 23	First Round	10 a.m. (tee times)
Monday, March 24	Second Round	7:30 a.m. (tee times)
Tuesday, March 25	Final Round	7:30 a.m. (tee times)

The Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational Scoring Format
Scoring for the Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational will be five players, count the low four scores each round. Teams will be allowed one individual player.

Follow the Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational
Live scoring for the Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational will be carried on www.golfstat.com. Each player's round will be updated after every third hole.
 
The Michigan Lineup at the Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational
The Wolverines will carry five players for the Michigan squad at the Betsy Rawls/Longhorn Invitational. Senior Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS), sophomore Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) and freshman Amy Schmucker (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori HS) will head up the Michigan squad going to Lakeway. Fifth-year senior Stephanie Stasik (Lubbock, Texas/Coronado HS) and junior/sophomore Courtney Goebel (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS) will round out the top five. Freshman Brandi Zielinski (Sylvania, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) will play in just her second collegiate tournament, competing as an individual.

Last Time on the Links: U-M Continues Solid Play, Places Third at Anteater Invite
The Wolverines carded a 313 final round total to stay in third place at the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (March 10-11) at Coto de Caza Country Club in Coto de Caza, Calif. The Wolverines tallied a 929 54-hole total after carding team totals of 314 and 302 on the first day of play. Michigan was just four strokes off winner and host UC Irvine, which tallied a 925 total (313-302-310). Cal State-Northridge was second at 927 (308-311-308). Kim Benedict recorded her third top-10 finish of the season, tying for fifth with a 224 54-hole total. Benedict opened the tournament with a five-over 77 then came roaring back in the second round with a season-best, two-under 70 -- one of only four rounds under par all tournament -- to put herself in a tie for second after the first day. However, a five-over 77 final round, which included two double bogeys on the final two holes, dampened her finish as she dropped into a tie for fifth with UC Irvine's Angela Won. Amy Schmucker was 13th with a 233 total (80-75-78) for her third best collegiate 54-hole tournament total. Stephanie Stasik tied for 21st with her 238 total after rounds of 76-80-82; Laura Olin tied for 29th with a 245 total with round scores of 81, 88 and a four-over 76; and Courtney Goebel tied for 32nd with a 246 total after firing rounds of 84, a season-low-tying 77 and 85. Freshman Kelly Easton (Port Huron, Mich./Northern HS) competed as an individual and tied for 50th (85-84-84/253) in just her second collegiate tournament for the Wolverines.

Getting Ready to Make Their Move
The Wolverines' third-place finish at the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (March 10-11) was the second best showing on the season and third top-five finish of the 2002-03. Michigan finished second in the first tournament of the season, the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15). The Maize and Blue's other top-five finish was a fourth-place showing at the Lady Northern Invitational (Sept. 28-29).

Benedict Hits Marks in California
Kim Benedict's second-round, two-under 70 at the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (March 10-11) was her season-best round by two strokes. She topped the even-par 72 she had in the second round last tournament at the Central District Invitational (Feb. 24-25). The round is also her sixth career round under par. In addition, Benedict's tournament-low, two-under 70 in the second round was one of just four rounds fired under par. Kansas' Heather Rose (first round) and UC Irvine's Stella Lee (third round) also recorded 70s, while Cal State-Northridge's Elizabeth Allen recorded a first-round 71. And finally, Benedict's 224 54-hole total is her second best total of the season, just a single stroke off her season-best 223 carded at the Lady Northern Invitational (Sept. 28-29), where she also finished fifth to lead the Wolverines.

They Keep Going and Going
Kim Benedict played in her 45th consecutive tournament for the Wolverines at the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (March 10-11). She is averaging 77.47 per round, which is second on the team. This season, she has recorded three top-10 finishes -- fifth at the Lady Northern (Sept. 28-29), tied for fifth at the Anteater Invitational and tied for eighth at the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15). She had a season-best 223 total at the Lady Northern. Laura Olin extended her streak to 20 straight tournaments for the Wolverines. She leads the team in scoring average (77.39) and has two top-10 finishes this season, tying for fourth at the Wolverine Invitational and tying for ninth at the Women's Collegiate Shootout (Oct. 7-8).

Schmucker Making Most of First Season
Amy Schmucker has made the most of her first eight collegiate tournaments, as she is third on the team with a 78.87 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 recorded a career-best single-round score of 74 in the final round of the Women's Collegiate Shootout (Oct. 7-8).

Stasik Continues to Strike
Stephanie Stasik has played in all eight tournaments this season. She is fourth on the team in scoring average with an 80.21 per round mark. She had a season-best tie for 15th at the Wolverine Invitational and had a season-best 54-hole tournament score of 233 at the Fossum Invitational (Sept. 21-22). She has had 10 of her 23 rounds below the 80-stroke barrier with a season-best 74 in the second round of the Women's Collegiate Shootout.

Goebel Ties Season-Best Mark in Home State
Courtney Goebel's second-round, five-over 77 at the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (March 10-11) tied her season-best score, and it marked the second time in her career she has fired a round below the 80-stroke barrier. She also shot 77 in the second round of the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15). She has competed in five tournaments this season and is averaging an even 82.00 per round.

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 311.4 per team round.

Coming On Strong
The Wolverines are averaging 316.6 as a team during the first round of tournaments this season. But they dramatically improve in the second and third rounds as they are averaging 307.4 as a team in the second round and 310.3 in the third round. For 54-hole tournaments this season they have been averaging 927.0.

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