Weekly Release #4
10/16/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sun., Oct. 19-21 -- at Hatter Golf Classic (Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.)
End of the Fall Season
Next on the Tee: Hatter Fall Classic
The University of Michigan women's golf team will close out the already record-breaking fall season when the Wolverines head south to Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., to participate in Stetson University's Hatter Fall Classic, Friday through Sunday (Oct. 19-21) at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort. The 54-hole tournament will feature 18 teams playing 18 holes per day. The El Campeon Course at Mission Hills will set up for a par of 72 and 6,015 yards.
Hatter Fall Classic Teams
There will be a 18-team field participating in the Hatter Fall Classic. The list of participants includes: Campbell, Central Florida, Charleston Southern, Daytona Community College, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Florida Southern, Florida State, Georgia State, Indiana, Jacksonville State, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, North Carolina State, Rollins College, Stetson, Western Michigan and Winthrop.
Hatter Fall Classic Schedule
The Hatter Fall Classic will consist of 54 holes, with 18 holes being played each day of the tournament.
| Friday, Oct. 19 | First Round | 8:00-10:30 a.m. (tee times) |
| Saturday, Oct. 20 | Second Round | 8:00-10:30 a.m. (tee times) |
| Sunday, Oct. 21 | Final Round | 8:30 a.m. (shotgun start) |
Hatter Fall Classic Scoring Format
Scoring for the Hatter Fall Classic will be five players, count the low four scores each round.
The Michigan Lineup
The Wolverines will carry five players and an individual to the Hatter Fall Classic. Junior Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) and senior Misia Lemanski (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) head up the five-member team. Freshman Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) and seniors LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) fill out the rest of the lineup. Senior Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./North HS) will travel as the individual.
Last Time on the Links: Wolverines Win Two Titles in Four Days
Wolverine Invitational: Michigan Runs Away with Title
Michigan ran away with the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7) team title by 38 strokes to win its second title this season. The Maize and Blue finished with at 623 -- a Wolverine Invitational record for a 36-hole event -- after following an opening round of 318 with a 305, the second best single team round in tournament history. The Michigan Maize team (337-341/678) placed third. Misia Lemanski led from start to finish and took home her first collegiate title as she won by five strokes with rounds of 75 and 77 for a six-over-par 152 total. Kim Benedict, LeAnna Wicks, and Cortney Reno all tied for third with 158 totals. Benedict fired rounds of 80 and 78, Wicks carded rounds of 82 and 76 and Reno shot 81-77.
Bess Bowers and Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day), who played on Maize squad, tied for sixth with 160 totals. Bowers fired a second-day total of 75 -- the low round of the day -- to vault up to sixth after opening with an 85. Kruer had rounds of 79 and 81. Laura Olin was eighth after her 82 and 79 for a 161 total. Stephanie Stasik (Lubbock, Texas, Coronado HS), Stephanie Bezilla (Grandville, Mich./Grandville HS), Courtney Goebel (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS) and Jenny Petzko (Coldwater, Mich./Coldwater HS) each made her season debut at the Wolverine Invitational, playing on the Maize team. Goebel (84-85/169) tied for 16th, Stasik (82-93/175) tied for 29th, while Bezilla (93-87/180) and Petzko (92-88/180) tied for 35th.
Shootout at the Legends: Co-Medalist Benedict Leads U-M to Title
With a final-round team total of 293, the Wolverines came from six strokes behind to claim the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) team title at the Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin, Ind. The Maize and Blue tallied team totals of 290, 294 and 293 for an 877 total to surpass 36-hole leader Wisconsin (289-289-301/879) and win by two strokes. The title gave the Wolverines their third straight tournament team trophy of the season, tying the school record for wins in a season.
Kim Benedict won her second career individual title, tying for medalist honors with Kent State's Martina Gillen. Benedict opened the tournament with the lowest tournament round in Michigan history with a 68, becoming only the second Wolverine ever to break 70. She followed that performance with a 74 in the second round and closed it out with a 70 in the third for a career-best 54-hole tournament total of 212. Gillen finished with her 212 total after rounds of 71-69-72. Misia Lemanski continued her strong play as she tied for sixth after firing rounds of 75-70-75 for a 220 total. Her second-round 70 was a career-best performance. Laura Olin tied for ninth after carding rounds of 72-76-73 for a career-best 221 total. LeAnna Wicks tied for 24th after rounds of 77-75-75 for a 227 total and Cortney Reno tied for 42nd (75-75-81/231).
Make That a Trifecta
For the first time in school history the Wolverines have won three consecutive tournament team titles -- the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9), the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 7-9) and the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23). The three titles this season ties the school record for most tournament titles in a season. The Wolverines accomplished the feat last season (2000-01) and during the 1995-96 season. The Wolverines have never won more than three tournaments in a season. In addition to the three team tournament titles, the Wolverines have also taken home two of three individual medalist honors this season -- Misia Lemanski at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7) and Kim Benedict at the Shootout at the Legends. The Wolverines just missed making it 3-for-3 -- Benedict opened the season with a second-place finish at the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23), missing the medalist honor by a single stroke. Ironically, the medalist at the Lady Northern was Kent State's Martina Gillen, who was co-medalist with Benedict at the Shootout at the Legends.
Wolverines Add Two More to the Trophy Showcase
The Wolverines have added two more tournament titles to their crowded trophy case after winning the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7) and then the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) -- giving them three consecutive titles this season. In fact, dating back to the start of the 2001 spring season, the team victory at the Shootout at the Legends gives the Maize and Blue six team titles in its last nine regular-season tournaments; six in the last 11 total tournaments including postseason events. In addition, the win at the Wolverine Invitational and the Shootout at the Legends are the Wolverines' 14th and 15th team titles since 1981, 10 of which have come under head coach Kathy Teichert's reign (1994-present).
Wolverines and the Trophy
| Date | Tournament Title |
| Oct. 8-9, 2001 | Shootout at the Legends |
| Oct. 6-7, 2001 | Wolverine Invitational |
| Sept. 21-23, 2001 | Lady Northern Invitational |
| April 14-15, 2001 | Hawkeye Invitational |
| March 17-18, 2001 | Stetson Hatter Spring Fling |
| Feb. 12-13, 2001 | Lady Aztec Invitational |
| April 13-14, 1996 | Purdue Invitational |
| March 24-25, 1996 | Saluki Invitational |
| Oct. 6-8, 1995 | Lady Kat Invitational |
| May 1-2, 1994 | Lady Eagle Invitational |
| Sept. 7-8, 1991 | Wolverine Invitational |
| Oct. 20, 1991 | Bowling Green Fall Invitational |
| Sept. 8-9, 1991 | Wolverine Invitational |
| Fall of 1986 | Notre Dame Invitational |
| Fall of 1981 | Wolverine Invitational |
Total Destroys School Mark
Michigan's 877 total at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) was the second best team total in school history. It also marked the third time the Wolverines have broken the 900-stroke barrier for a 54-hole tournament. Earlier this season, the Wolverines' 873 total at the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23) destroyed Michigan's best three-round tournament total mark by 16 strokes.
Lowering the Standards
| Total | Tournament | Dates |
| 873 | Lady Northern | Sept. 21-23, 2001 |
| 877 | Shootout at the Legends | Oct. 8-9, 2001 |
| 889 | Shootout at the Legends | Oct. 9-10, 2000 |
| 902 | Hawkeye Invitational | April 14-15, 2001 |
| 904 | Lady Kat Invitational | Oct. 6-8, 1995 |
| 924 | Hawkeye Invitational | April 15-16, 2000 |
| 929 | Women's Collegiate Shootout | Oct. 11-12, 1999 |
| 932 | Lady Kat Invitational | Oct. 11-13, 1996 |
Look at the Tallies
The Wolverines' first-round team total of 290 at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) tied their season-best performance and matched the second best team score in school history. The Maize and Blue tallied the same total in the first round of the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23). Shootout totals of 293 (third round) and 294 (second) are the sixth and seventh best totals in school history. Michigan's three team rounds below 300 marks the second time in school history the Wolverines have accomplished this feat. Earlier this season, Michigan's team scores of 290, 291 and 293 at the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23) marked the first time the team had three rounds below 300.
Lowering the Barrier
| Total | Tournament | Dates |
| 287 | 3rd round, Shootout at the Legends | Oct. 10, 2000 |
| 290 | 1st round, Shootout at the Legends | Oct. 8, 2001 |
| 290 | 1st round, Lady Northern | Sept. 21, 2001 |
| 291 | 2nd round, Lady Northern | Sept. 22, 2001 |
| 292 | 3rd round, Lady Northern | Sept. 23, 2001 |
| 293 | 3rd round, Shootout at the Legends | Oct. 9, 2001 |
| 294 | 2nd round, Shootout at the Legends | Oct. 8, 2001 |
| 299 | 1st round, Hawkeye Invitational | April 14, 2001 |
| 299 | 1st round, Stetson's Hatter Spring Fling | March 17, 2001 |
| 299 | 2nd round, Shootout at the Legends | Oct. 9, 2000 |
| 299 | 4th round, 2000 Big Ten Championships | April 30, 2000 |
| 299 | 1st round, Hawkeye Invitational | April 15, 2000 |
More from the 2001 Wolverine Invitational
Team Notes: Michigan's total of 623 (318-305) set a Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7) record for a 36-hole tournament. The previous best 36-hole mark was 625 (312-313) by Ohio State in 1980. In addition the Maize and Blue has now won four Wolverine Invitational team titles, the most of any participating school. The Wolverines now have titles in 1981, 1990, 1991 and 2001.
Individual Notes: The individual medalist title by Misia Lemanski (75-77/152) gives the Wolverines back-to-back individual victories at the Wolverine Invitational. At the 2000 Wolverine Invitational, Cortney Reno (78-75-78/231) raised the individual trophy. The Maize and Blue has won five Wolverine Invitational individual titles, the most of any participating school. Linda Drillock (1981), Becky Hayes (1990), Wendy Bigler (1991), Cortney Reno (2000) and Misia Lemanski (2001) have raised the trophy for the Maize and Blue.
Swinging into the National Ranking
Michigan is currently ranked ninth in the country according to Golfweek/Sagarin ratings (Oct. 14) -- the highest ranking in the program's history. Fellow Big Ten member Ohio State sits atop the poll, and five of the top 10 teams are from the Central Region.
Golfweek/Sagarin Top 10 (10/14/01)
Team Rating Region 1. Ohio State 72.72 Central 2. Auburn 72.77 East 3. Tulsa 73.24 Central 4. Duke 73.50 East 5. Texas 73.66 Central 6. Vanderbilt 73.84 East 7. New Mexico 73.86 West 8. Oklahoma State 73.89 Central 9. MICHIGAN 73.91 Central 10. Arizona State 73.92 West
Benedict Gets Second Crown
Kim Benedict won her second career medalist honor at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9), sharing the honor with Kent State's Martina Gillen. She earned her first title at the Hawkeye Invitational (April 14-15, 2001) by winning a playoff on the second hole. Benedict lost in playoffs for medalist honors at the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 23-24, 2000) and at the Hatter Spring Fling (March 17-18, 2001).
Going Lower and Lower
Kim Benedict's first-round total of 68 at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) was not only a career best, it was the first time she has gone below the 70-stroke barrier for a single round in her Michigan career. Her previous best was a 70 in the first round of the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 23, 2000). In fact, Benedict's round of 68 is the lowest single-round total in Michigan history, surpassing teammate Cortney Reno's 69 fired in the third round of the 2000 Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10, 2000).
More From Benedict's Season
Kim Benedict's Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) total of 212 is a career best by five strokes. Her previous best total was her 217 tallied in the opening tournament of the season -- the Lady Northern Invitational (Sept. 21-23). She has not finished lower than third all season. She won the Shootout at the Legends, finished second at the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23) and tied for third at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7).
Lemanski Gets First Title
Misia Lemanski's Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7) individual victory marked the first in her collegiate career. Prior to raising the trophy, her previous best finish was a tie for fourth at the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23) in this season's first tournament. In addition, her 36-hole total of 152 is a career best. Her previous best was a 159 tallied last year at the Hatter Spring Fling (March 17-18, 2001).
Lemanski Continues to Stay Hot
Misia Lemanski's second-round 70 at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) is a career best, bettering the 71 fired earlier this season in the first round of the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23). She has now made it three straight top 10 finishes on the season. She won the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7), finished tied for fourth at the Lady Northern and tied for sixth at the Shootout at the Legends.
Olin Continues to Impress
Laura Olin competed in her first collegiate tournament at the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23) and made an impressive start. Olin tied for 11th after strong rounds of 77-74-73 for a 224 inaugural tournament total. Since then she has continued to improve and shine. Her Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) first-round tally of 72 was a career best. Her previous best was a 73 in the third round of the Lady Northern. Her 54-hole tournament total of 221 also reset her career mark, bettering the 224 tallied at the Lady Northern. Her tie for ninth gives her back-to-back top 10 finishes after her eighth-place finish at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 6-7).
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
