Weekly Release #12

Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sun., April 27-29 -- at Big Ten Championships (Falcon Heights, Minn.)
Thu-Sat., May 10-12 -- at NCAA Regional (Site TBA)

Next on the Tee
The University of Michigan women's golf team will hit the championship portion of its schedule, as the Wolverines will travel to Falcon Heights, Minn., for the 2001 Big Ten Conference Championships Friday through Sunday (April 27-29). This year's championship will be played at Minnesota's Les Bolstad Golf Club. The championships will have the course set up for a par of 72 and yardage of 5,979. The last time the event was held in Minnesota was in 1990. The 72-hole tournament will consist of 36 holes Friday (April 27, 8 a.m. CDT), 18 on Saturday (April 28, 9 a.m.) and a final round on Sunday (April 29, 8 a.m.).

Internet Coverage
   Big Ten Conference Site
   Minnesota's Women's Golf Site

Les Bolstad Golf Club
Minnesota's University Golf Course opened in 1929-30 and is the home course of the Golden Gopher women's and men's golf teams. In 1983, the University Golf Course was renamed the Les Bolstad Golf Course in honor of Bolstad, who was a two-time All-Big Ten selection in the 1920s and was the head coach of the men's golf team from 1947 to 1976. The 18-hole golf course takes up 154 acres.

Les Bolstad Information
   Directions to Course
   Hole-by-Hole Tour

Championship Scoring
Team scores shall be determined by adding the low four scores of each team for each round. A team shall consist of no more than six players per institution. Ties in a team or individual competition after 72 holes at the championship shall stand.

Championship Teams
All 11 Big Ten Conference teams will participate in the women's golf championship. The seeding for the championship was determined by each team's final finish from the Lady Northern Invitational (Sept. 29-Oct. 1). Play is scheduled for 8 a.m. CDT Friday, with tee times following in seven-minute intervals. The breakdown of the tee times, with team seedings, is as follows:

   Group 1 -- 8:00 to 8:35 a.m. -- 1st tee
   No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Purdue

   Group 2 -- 8:42 to 9:17 a.m. -- 1st tee
   No. 3 Minnesota, No. 4 Northwestern

   Group 3 -- 9:24 to 9:59 a.m. -- 1st tee
   No. 5 Michigan State, No. 6 Indiana

   Group 4 -- 8:14 to 8:49 a.m. -- 10th tee
   No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Penn State

   Group 5 -- 8:56 to 9:52 a.m. -- 10th tee
   No. 9 Iowa, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 11 Illinois

Michigan at the Big Ten Conference Championships
Michigan has competed in all but one Big Ten Conference Championship, since its inception in 1982. The Wolverines' best finish was fourth in 1997 in East Lansing, Mich., and their best team score was 1,216 last year in Verona, Wis.

Michigan in the Big Ten

Year	Place	Score	Host School
1982	---	---	Minnesota
1983	9th	1,087	Illinois
1984	9th	1,026	Iowa
1985	9th	1,369	Indiana
1986	8th	1,369	Michigan
1987	9th	1,332	Michigan State
1988	9th	1,409	Ohio State
1989	9th	1,384	Purdue
1990	7th	1,308	Minnesota
1991	8th	1,296	Wisconsin
1992	9th	1,389	Illinois
1993	10th	1,382	Iowa
1994	10th	1,348	Ohio State
1995	7th	1,303	Michigan
1996	5th	988*	Indiana
1997	4th	1,285	Michigan State
1998	11th	1,281	Penn State
1999	10th	1,302	Purdue
2000	t-6th	1,216	Wisconsin
* Shortened to 54 holes due to rain

The Michigan Lineup
The Wolverines will carry six players for the Michigan squad at the Big Ten Conference Championships. Sophomore Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) and junior LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) head up the six-member team, with junior Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) rounding out the top three. Junior Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North HS), junior Misia Lemanski (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS) and freshman Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) fill up the 4-5-6 spots.

Last Year at Big Ten's ... U-M Ties for Sixth
The Wolverines used a team record-tying performance in the final round to move up one position and tied for sixth at the 2000 Big Ten Conference Championships (April 28-30) at University Ridge Golf Course in Verona, Wis. The Wolverines tied with Northwestern for the sixth position. Michigan fired a final-round team total 299 to finish the championship with a 1,216 total. Michigan's final round was the second time in school history the Wolverines broke the 300-stroke barrier. The Wolverines' 1,216 team total also shattered by 65 strokes their 72-hole team record at the Big Ten Conference Championships. The prior mark was a 1,281 team total at the 1998 tournament.

Cortney Reno helped pace the way for the Wolverines' 299 performance as she collected her second career hole-in-one, acing the par-3, 124-yard 12th hole. She also collected an eagle on the par-5, 462-yard 11th hole to give her back-to-back eagles. She finished the final round with a 73 for a 311 championship total, which put her tied for 40th. Trish Watkins (Darien, Conn./Darien HS) and Bess Bowers led the way for the Wolverines during the championship and both finished tied for 19th with tournament totals of 305. Misia Lemanski followed Reno, firing the team's second-best round of the day with a 74 in her final round to put her in a tie for 34th with a 309 total. Kim Benedict fired her third straight round of 75 to put her tied for 24th in her first Big Ten meet. Amy Talbot finished tied for 48th with a 316 total after firing an 80 in the final round.

Benedict, Michigan Earn Top Honors at Hawkeye Invite
With a commanding performance, the Wolverines won their third event of the season and Kim Benedict won her first collegiate tournament in a four-player playoff at the Hawkeye Invitational (April 14-15) at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, Iowa. The Wolverines (299-302-301/902) dominated from start to finish, winning by 17 strokes over second-place Indiana (297-311-311/919).

Benedict (73-74-76/223) outlasted three other golfers in a playoff, including teammate LeAnna Wicks (76-74-73/223), to earn medalist honors after parring the second playoff hole. In addition to Benedict's title and Wicks' career-best second-place finish, Bess Bowers had a career-best finish as she placed fifth after rounds of 74-74-77 for a 225 total. Cortney Reno tied for 16th (76-80-75/231) and Misia Lemanski tied for 40th (79-81-82/242). Competing as an individual, Sarah Rector (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS) played in her second tournament this season and tied for 43rd (85-80-79/244).

Third Time is a Charm
Kim Benedict garnered her first collegiate individual medalist honor at the Hawkeye Invitational after winning the four-person playoff for the trophy. It was the third time this season Benedict was in a playoff for the individual medalist honor (Sept. 24 at Fossum Invitational; March 17-18 at Hatter Spring Fling.

Benedict capitalized at the Hawkeye Invitational to win her first collegiate tournament on the second playoff hole. At the end of regulation, Benedict (73-74-76), teammate LeAnna Wicks (76-74-73), first-day leader Kelly Pickett of Eastern Michigan (72-71-80) and Iowa State's Noel Jacobusse (76-72-75) all finished with 223 tournament totals, forcing a four-player playoff. On the first hole, Benedict and Jacobusse converted pars, while Wicks and Pickett were eliminated with bogeys. Benedict then converted a long up-and-down to par the second hole while Jacobusse missed her par putt to seal the win for Benedict.

For her efforts, Benedict also was named the Big Ten's Golfer of the Week for the week ending April 16.

Wicks Continues to Light the Course
LeAnna Wicks continues to carve up her junior season. Her second-place finish at the Hawkeye Invitational (April 14-15) was a career best. Earlier this year, she set the mark with a tie for fourth at the Hatter Spring Fling (March 17-18). So far this season she tied a career best with a 72 in the final round at the Hatter Spring Fling (March 17-18) and in the second round of the Shootout of the Legends (Oct. 9-10). Her of 150 total at the Spring Fling was also a career-best mark, bettering her previous mark of 162 set last year at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 9-10, 1999), and she shattered her career-best tournament total with a 222 at Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10, 2000), smashing the 232 she fired just one tournament earlier at the Lady Northern (Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2000). She has lowered her stroke average to 77.51, which is six strokes better than her previous best season average of 83.95 as a freshman.

Wolverines Get Third Trophy
The team victory at the Hawkeye Invitational (April 14-15) is the Wolverines' third title on the season, all in the spring. The Wolverines also tied for first at the Lady Aztec Invitational (Feb. 12-13) and won outright at the Hatter Spring Fling (March 17-18). Prior to the three wins this year, the Maize and Blue's last team tournament trophy was at the 1996 Purdue Invitational (April 13-14). The win at the Hawkeye Invitational also gives the Wolverines their 12th tournament team title since 1981, seven of which have come under coach Kathy Teichert's reign.

Wolverines and the Trophy

Date	Tournament Titles
April 14-15, 2001	Hawkeye Invitational
March 17-18, 2001	Stetson's 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

Victories Pile Up for Wolverines
The three victories in 2000-01 also tie the school mark for most tournament victories in a season. The Wolverines last did it during the 1995-96 season when they won Lady Kat Invitational (Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 1995); the Saluki Invitational (March 24-25, 1996) and the Purdue Invitational (April 13-14, 1996).

Wolverines Stay in the Top 35
The Wolverines have stayed in the top 35 in the country according to the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings (April 18) as they sit at No. 32 in the nation. Michigan is one of five Big Ten schools in the top 35, joining No. 16 Northwestern, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 20 Purdue and No. 23 Michigan State. In fact, all 11 Big Ten schools are ranked in the top 100 of the 194 ranked women's programs. Rounding out the Big Ten are No. 37 Indiana, No. 47 Minnesota, No. 64 Penn State, No. 67 Wisconsin, No. 70 Illinois and No. 87 Iowa. The Central District, which Michigan is part of, leads the way with 13 teams in the top 35. Both the East and West Districts have 11 ranked teams.

Individuals Stay in Ratings
The Wolverines have three players ranked in the top 200 in the nation according to the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings (April 18) as Kim Benedict is ranked 100th with a 75.40 rating, LeAnna Wicks is 134th (75.91) and Cortney Reno is 154th (776.21). Arizona's Lorena Ochoa is the No. 1 golfer in the country with a 70.29 rating.

Total Destroys School Mark
The Wolverines' 889 total at the Women's Collegiate Shootout (Oct. 9-10) destroyed Michigan's team best three-round tournament total mark by 15 strokes. Michigan's previous best was a 904 shot at the Lady Kat Invitational (Oct. 6-8, 1995), a mark U-M also surpassed with a 902 total at the Hawkeye Invitational (April 14-15).

Lowering the 54-Hole Standards

889	Women's Collegiate Shootout	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

Yet Another Total Destroys School Mark
The Wolverines' 602 total at the Hatter Spring Fling (March 17-18) destroyed Michigan's team best two-round tournament total mark by 18 strokes. Michigan's previous best was a 620 shot at the James Madison Invitational (Oct. 8-9, 1994).

Lowering the 36-Hole Standards

602	Stetson's Hatter Spring Fling	March 17-18, 2001
620	James Madison Invitational	Oct. 8-9, 1994
622	Midwest Classic	Feb. 21-22, 1997
624	Midwest Classic	Feb. 21-22, 1998
627	Notre Dame Invitational	1986-87 season
630	Boilermaker Invitational	April 12-13, 1997

Breaking the Barrier
With Michigan's first round of 299 at the Hawkeye Invitational, the Wolverines have struck below the 300-stroke barrier for the fourth time this season and sixth time in Michigan history. Earlier this season, the Wolverines fired a school-record 287 in the final round of the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 10) and hit the 299 mark at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9) and Hatter Spring Fling (March 17).

Lowering the Barrier

287	third round, Shootout at the Legends	Oct. 9-10, 2000
299	first round, Hawkeye Invitational	April 14-15, 2001
299	first round, Hatter Spring Fling	March 17-18, 2001
299	second round, Shootout at the Legends	Oct. 9-10, 2000
299	fourth round, 2000 Big Ten Championships	April 28-30, 2000
299	first round, Hawkeye Invitational	April 15-16, 2000
300	third round, Lady Northern	Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2000
300	second round, Lady Kat Invitational	Oct. 6-8, 1995
300	third round, Lady Kat Invitational	Oct. 6-8, 1995

Scoring Race Heats Up
Five Wolverines are averaging below 80 strokes per round; in fact, three are below the 78-stroke barrier after the six spring tournaments of the season. Kim Benedict and LeAnna Wicks have claimed the top spot as they are both on a school-record pace with averages of 77.51. Cortney Reno is third with a 77.63 average while Bess Bowers is fourth at 78.33. Sarah Kruer is the fifth player under 80 as she is averaging 79.76. The amazing part of the low averages is that there have been only three golfers school history to hold below an 80 per round average -- Benedict, 79.24 in 1999-2000; Sharon Park (1996-99), 78.42 in 1997-98 and 79.14 in 1996-97; and Wendy Westfall (1994-97), 79.50 in 1996-97.

The Leaders and Best
So far, five different Wolverines have led the Maize and Blue in the 11 tournaments this year. The latest is Kim Benedict, who won her first collegiate tournament at the Hawkeye Invitational in a four-player playoff. Benedict has led the Wolverines a team-leading five times this season.

Leaders and Best

Kim Benedict	2nd*	Fossum Invitational	Sept. 23-24, 2000
	t-12th	Shootout at the Legends	Oct. 9-10, 2000
	2nd*	Hatter Spring Fling	March 17-18, 2001
	t-19th	San Antonio Shootout	March 25-26, 2001
	1st@	Hawkeye Invitational	April 14-15, 2001
Cortney Reno	1st	Wolverine Invitational	Sept. 16-17, 2000
	t-2nd	Lady Aztec Invitational	Feb. 12-13, 2001
	t-19th	San Antonio Shootout	March 25-26, 2001
LeAnna Wicks	t-18th	Midwest Classic	Feb. 23-25, 2001
	t-18th	Indiana Invitational	April 7-8, 2001
Bess Bowers	t-10th	Lady Northern	Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2000
Misia Lemanski	t-8th	Central District Classic	Oct. 23-24, 2000
*lost in playoff for first place @ won in four-player playoff