Weekly Release #6

Upcoming Schedule
Mon-Tue., Feb. 16-17 -- at Golden Panther Golf Championship (Miami, Fla.)
Sun-Tue., Feb. 22-24 -- at Lady Puerto Rico Classic (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Next on the Tee: Golden Panther Golf Championship
After nearly three months away from golf competition, the University of Michigan women's golf will hit the links again heading to Miami, Fla., Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 16-17), for Florida International's Golden Panther Golf Championships. The 11-team field will play 54 holes over the two days of competition at the Miccosukee Country Club's Dolphin and Marlin Courses. The Dolphin course will be set with a par of 36 and the Marlin course 37 for a par of 73 and 6,100 yards.

A Look at the Tournament Field
The Golden Panther Golf Championship features 11 teams: Alabama-Birmingham, Arkansas State, Bethune-Cookman, The Citadel, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Long Island, Maryland, Michigan, SMU and Toledo.

The Tournament Schedule
The Golden Panther Golf Championship will consist of 54 holes, 36 holes starting Monday (Feb. 16) and concluding with a final 18 holes Tuesday (Feb. 17).

Sunday, Feb. 15	Practice Round	Tee times throughout the day
Monday, Feb. 16	First Round	7:30 a.m. (shotgun start)
	Second Round	12:30 p.m. (shotgun start)
Tuesday, Feb. 17	Final Round	7:30 a.m. (shotgun start)

The Tournament Scoring Format
Scoring for the Golden Panther Golf Championship will be five players, count the low four scores each round. Selected teams will be allowed individual players.

The Michigan Lineup at the Golden Panther Golf Championship
Nine members of the Maize and Blue will head down to the Golden Panther Golf Championship. The five-member Wolverine team will be selected after practice rounds in Florida; the four other players will compete as individuals. Junior Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS), sophomore Amy Schmucker (Cold Springs, Minn./Rocori HS), freshman Brianna Broderick (Richmond, Mo./Richmond HS), freshman Ali Stinson (Penticton, B.C./Penticton Secondary), sophomore Brandi Zielinski (Sylvania, Ohio/St. Ursula's), senior Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day), senior/junior Courtney Goebel (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS), sophomore Kelly Easton (Port Huron, Mich./Northern) and redshirt freshman Molly Spalding (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) will all compete for the top five spots in the first spring tournament.

Last Time on the Links: U-M Uses Season Bests to Close Out Fall
After carding a fall season best 303, the Wolverines moved up one position to finish ninth at the Lady Paladin Invitational (Oct. 24-26) at the Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, S.C. The Wolverines closed out the fall season with a 925 54-hole total after descending rounds of 318, 306 and 303. Laura Olin and Amy Schmucker continued to be the Wolverines' 1-2 punch as they both finished in the top 20. Olin tied for 12th, leading the Wolverines for the fourth straight tournament, with a season-best-tying 224 total (78-72-74). Schmucker tied for 18th, her third top 20 finish of the fall, posting a season-best 226 total (76-76-74). Ali Stinson tied her career-best tournament score with a 237 total (82-77-78), tying her for 46th; Brianna Broderick, tied for 59th (84-81-77/242); Brandi Zielinski, tied for 65th (82-83-80/245); and Molly Spalding, 82nd (89-84-85/258) playing as an individual.

Spring Season Showcases Top Competition for the Wolverines
The 2004 spring season will continue to showcase strong competition for the Wolverines before the Maize and Blue head into the postseason. The Wolverines open up the spring season in Miami, Fla., at the Golden Panther Golf Championship (Feb. 16-17) before heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Lady Puerto Rico Classic (Feb. 22-24). After playing in the southern U.S., the Wolverines head to the West Coast for the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (March 15-16). The Wolverines will return to Southern Illinois' Saluki Invitational (March 28-29) field after four-year hiatus before closing out the regular season with trips to Bloomington, Ind., and the Indiana Invitational (April 3-4) and West Lafayette, Ind., for the Lady Boilermaker Invitational (April 17-18) - a tournament they have not played in eight years.

The Wolverines then head to Columbus, Ohio, for the 2004 Big Ten Championships (April 23-25). If the Wolverines qualify, they could be placed in any of the three NCAA Regional (March 6-8) sites -- Central (Normal, Ill., University Golf Course); East (Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort) and West (Palo Alto, Calif., Stanford Golf Course). The NCAA Championships will be in Auburn, Ala., at the Grand National Lake Course (May 18-21).

Holding A Steady Course to Set Mark
Laura Olin finished the fall season averaging 76.46 per round, which is on a career-best pace. She already holds the school record for the lowest freshman scoring average at 76.94, which is also her career-best season average. Olin is also on pace to set the U-M mark with her current average. Former Wolverines Kim Benedict (2000-03) set the all-time season mark in 2001-02 with a 76.49 scoring average. In addition, Olin's 77.03 career average is tops all-time at U-M.

Fall Season Highlights ...

Streaks Continue To Grow
Laura Olin extended her consecutive tournament streak to 30 by playing at the Lady Paladin Invitational (Oct. 24-26). She has not missed a tournament in her three seasons at Michigan. Amy Schmucker also added to her streak as she sits at 18 straight tournaments. Former Wolverine Kim Benedict (2000-03) holds the U-M record, playing in all 49 tournaments during her four-year career.

Getting the First One Out of the Way
Laura Olin won her first career tournament title at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 4-5). Her previous top finish in a tournament was fourth, which she recorded three times -- 2002 Wolverine Invitational (tie-4th, 229), 2002 Central District Classic (tie-4th, 220) and the 2002 Hawkeye Invitational (4th, 222).

Making the Most of the Home Course Advantage
With the team title at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 4-5), Michigan has now won five titles in the tournament's 13-year history. In addition, with Laura Olin winning medalist honors, it marks the sixth individual title a Maize and Blue player has won at the Wolverine Invitational. Olin joins Linda Drillock (1981), Becky Hayes (1990), Wendy Bigler (tri-winner, 1991), Cortney Reno (2000) and Misia Lemanski (2001) as Maize and Blue medalists at the Wolverine.

Olin Sets Mark in Final Round of Wolverine Invitational
Laura Olin's final round of one-under-par 71 set the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 4-5) single-round scoring record. It marked the first time a player has tallied a round under par at the tournament. The previous record was 72, held by Indiana's Karen Dennison in 2002, when par was 72, and Ohio State's Amy Langhals in 1996, when par was 73.

Putting a Couple of More on the Shelves
With Michigan winning the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 4-5) it gives the program 20 total team trophies all-time. It marks the first time the Wolverines grabbed a tournament title since the 2001-02 season, when U-M won its second straight Hawkeye Invitational (April 13-14, 2002). With Laura Olin winning medalist honors at the Wolverine Invitational, it gives the Maize and Blue 18 medalist titles all-time. Olin, who won her first collegiate title, is now the 10th Wolverine to win a title.

Resetting Career Numbers
Amy Schmucker's third-place finish at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 4-5) is her career-best finish, topping the tie for fourth she had at the 2002 Wolverine in her first collegiate event. Ali Stinson set a new career-best finish, placing ninth at the Wolverine for her first top 10. Her previous best was a tie for 31st at the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 20-21), her first collegiate tournament. Courtney Goebel recorded a career-best tournament finish with a tie for 10th place at the Wolverine, her first top 10. Her previous best was a tie for 15th at the 2002 Wolverine.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423