Michigan
Wolverine Invitational (Day 2)
Michigan Runs Away with Wolverine Invitational Title
10/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich.
Course:Â University of Michigan Golf Course (par 73, 5,962 yards)
Tournament:Â Wolverine Invitational
U-M (Blue) Finish:Â 1st Place of 10 Teams (318-305/623)
U-M (Maize) Finish:Â 3rd Place of 10 Teams (337-341/678)
Top U-M Individual:Â Misia Lemanski, 1st (75-77/152)
Next Event:Â Mon-Tue, Oct. 8-9) -- at Shootout at the Legends (Franklin, Ind.)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Despite weather temperatures still being low, the sun peeked through the clouds to shine brightly at the University of Michigan Golf Course in Sunday's (Oct. 7) final round at the Wolverine Invitational as the Michigan women's team ran away with the team title by 38 strokes and seven Wolverines placed in the top eight of the entire tournament.
The Wolverines 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. Eastern Michigan (336-325/661) finished second and the Michigan Maize team (337-341/678) placed third.
Michigan senior Misia Lemanski (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) 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. Eastern Michigan's Kelly Pickett finished second after rounds of 79-78 for a 157 total. Michigan junior Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS), and seniors LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) 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.
Senior Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./North HS) and sophomore 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. Freshman Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) 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.
The Wolverines will have little rest as they immediately take off for Franklin, Ind., and the Shootout at the Legends, Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 8-9). The 54-hole tournament will be played at the Legends of Indiana.
Final Team Standings
1. MICHIGAN (Blue) 318-305 = 623 2. Eastern Michigan 336-325 = 661 3. MICHIGAN (Maize) 337-341 = 678 4. Ohio 347-332 = 679 5. Western Michigan 343-337 = 680 6. Bowling Green 349-351 = 700 7. Grand Valley State 363-350 = 713 8. Ferris State 367-348 = 715 9. Xavier 378-349 = 727 10. Southwest Missouri State 384-348 = 732
Top Individuals
1. Misia Lemanski, U-M (Blue) 75-77 = 152 2. Kelly Pickett, Eastern Michigan 79-78 = 157 3. Kim Benedict, U-M (Blue) 80-78 = 158 LeAnna Wicks, U-M (Blue) 81-77 = 158 Cortney Reno, U-M (Blue) 82-76 = 158 6. Bess Bowers, U-M (Blue) 85-75 = 160 Sarah Kruer, U-M (Maize) 79-81 = 160 8. Laura Olin, U-M (Blue) 82-79 = 161 9. Jenn Soltis, Ferris State 83-81 = 164 10. Katie Yoder, Western Michigan 84-82 = 166 Erica Bieniek, Western Michigan 81-85 = 166
Other Michigan Scores
T16. Courtney Goebel (Maize) 84-85 = 169 T29. Stephanie Stasik (Maize) 82-93 = 175 T35. Jenny Petzko (Maize) 92-88 = 180 T35. Stephanie Bezilla (Maize) 93-87 = 180
QUOTES
U-M Head Coach Kathy Teichert
On the team's victory ... "We played well, very well. It was nice to see. We really closed it out today and that has always been one of our highest goals, to sustain leads. I am really proud of the girls. I think a lot of it comes to the maturity and the work ethic of our girls. Each week, we are learning more and more and working harder and harder and I think it has shown in the scores."
On the team's fifth victory in last 10 events ... "That is just unbelievable. I have never had a group like this before. They are truly special. They've had some real accomplishments over the past year and a half."
U-M Senior Misia Lemanski
On her first collegiate title ... "It feels great, it is just awesome. I felt like I was in contention last week, but I just didn't come through. After I shot the 75 in the first round I thought there was no way I would be in contention this week, but I was. I just felt good the entire time and good things happened. I don't think it really has all sank in yet."
On the team win ... "It feels great as well. It gives us a lot of confidence and momentum going into our next tournament. This is the first one we have won at home in a long time and it feels great. It was one of our team goals and we really came through. To play as well as we did in the weather we had gives us a good feeling knowing we can play in all types of conditions."
Wolverine Invitational Notes
• Michigan has won four Wolverine Invitational team titles, the most of any participating school. The Wolverines now have titles in 1981, 1990, 1991 and 2001. Indiana (1996 and 1997) and Michigan State (1983 and 1998) have two team titles to their credit, while Ohio State (1980), Ohio (1999) and Baylor (2000) each has one.
• Michigan's total of 623 (318-305) set a Wolverine Invitational record for a 36-hole tournament. The previous best 36-hole mark was 625 (312-313) by Ohio State in 1980.
• 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.
• Michigan 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 each raised the trophy for the Maize and Blue.
Michigan Notes
• For the first time in school history the Wolverines have won back-to-back tournament team titles -- the Wolverine Invitational and the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23).
• Dating back to the start of the 2001 spring season, the team victory at the Wolverine Invitational gives the Maize and Blue five team titles in its last eight regular-season tournaments; five in the last 10 total tournaments including postseason events.
• The win at the Wolverine Invitational gives the Wolverines their 14th team title since 1981, nine of which have come under coach Kathy Teichert's reign (1994-present).
• Misia Lemanski's Wolverine Invitational 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).
• After not playing with the team last year, Stephanie (MacAdams) Stasik played in her first tournament for the Wolverines in almost two years. She finished tied for 29th at the Wolverine Invitational after rounds of 82 and 93 for a 175 total. The last tournament she played in was as a sophomore at the Hawkeye Invitational (April 15-16, 2000), where she competed as an individual and finished 37th (83-85-85/253).
Players Mentioned
