Michigan
Hawkeye Invitational
Medalist Wicks Helps Wolverines Dominate Field at Iowa
4/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- With a 15-stroke victory over the field at the Hawkeye Invitational on Sunday (April 14), the University of Michigan women's golf team continued its record-setting season by adding its sixth team title. With the win, the Wolverines were successful in defending their 2001 Hawkeye Invitational crown and doubled the team's previous best of three team titles, set in 1995-96 and 2000-01. LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) led the way for the Maize and Blue, posting the first medalist performance of her career with a three-round total score of 217 (68-72-77).
| | Wicks |
In the second round, Michigan tied its lowest single-round score of 287 thanks in part to rounds of 71 and 72, respectively, by Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./North HS) and Wicks. While Bowers' score was her best result of the weekend, en route to a career-best fifth place finish for the senior, Wicks made sure she would not be left out of the medalist position at the Hawkeye Invitational for the second straight year. Wicks finished tied for second in a four-player playoff last year, losing the title to teammate Kim Benedict (Rochester, Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS). Wicks' score of 72 tied the second-lowest round of her career and helped her coast to the individual title by two strokes.
The Maize and Blue dropped six strokes of their lead on Sunday, carding a 311 in the final round as tough pin placements and strong winds made the course play longer than it had the day before. Once again, Wicks fired the Wolverines' lowest score, tying Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS), with team-best rounds of 77.
The Wolverines will swing into the championship portion of its schedule, as the Maize and Blue will travel to Urbana, Ill., for the 2002 Big Ten Championship Friday through Sunday (April 26-28) at Stone Creek Golf Course.
Team Standings
1. MICHIGAN 290-287-311 = 888 2. Indiana 296-302-305 = 903 3. Iowa 302-300-315 = 917 4. Iowa State 320-299-304 = 923 5. Northern Iowa 310-308-312 = 930 6. Wisconsin 308-310-313 = 931 7. Kansas 306-311-320 = 937 8. Arkansas-Little Rock 311-311-316 = 938 9. Eastern Michigan 318-320-327 = 965 10. Eastern Washington 326-324-338 = 988
Top Individuals
1. LeANNA WICKS, U-M 68-72-77 = 217 2. Katie Connelly, Wisconsin 71-74-74 = 219 3. Jill MacDonald, Kansas 70-71-80 = 221 4. LAURA OLIN, U-M 74-68-80 = 222 5. BESS BOWERS, U-M 75-71-78 = 224
Other Michigan Scores
T12. Misia Lemanski 73-77-80 = 230 T14. Kim Benedict 75-77-79 = 231 17. Cortney Reno 79-76-77 = 232
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Kathy Teichert
On the tournament ... "This was an excellent tournament to win and we were really encouraged by the result. When you can win by 15 strokes over any field that is something that you'll be pleased with, so we are feeling great right now. I'm so proud of the hard work, effort, time and heart these girls have put into this team this year. They have been able to take all that and translate it into result after result after result. It is really an amazing thing to see."
On winning six tournaments this season ... "If you had told me at the start of the season that we would have won five tournaments this year, I would have taken that in a heartbeat and moved on but we've even surpassed that. It's just great; it hasn't really sunk in yet. These kids are playing excellent right now and expect more and more of themselves each time they go out there."
On going into play on Sunday with such a large lead ... "To be up by that much after Saturday, keeping our focus was a huge issue. We wanted to go out there and finish it off and finish it off well. We didn't necessarily get the result we wanted on Sunday, we made some mistakes and some shots just weren't there when they needed to be. The course conditions, pin placements and the wind that came up all played in to that, but we certainly weren't discouraged. Our main goals were to polish off the lead, finish strongly and see all our players place in the top 15, so in many of those areas we did really well."
On the team's mindset ... "They're on cloud nine right now. To win six tournaments in a season is such an amazing accomplishment. For them to look at that and see that they can get the job done when it needs to be is a very good feeling. They are getting to the point where they know they are good and are beginning to get some respect for what they've done. I'm extremely proud of them, especially for our girls who have played here for the past few years and are really seeing their hard work and dedication pay off. Like I said before, they are all on cloud nine right now. It's amazing."
On the performance of LeAnna Wicks ... "This was by far her best tournament. She had two excellent rounds under par, two of the best rounds of her career really, and finished the weekend off well. Last year at the Hawkeye Invitational she was involved in a playoff for the title and lost, so this was great for her to have her first individual title come here."
Senior LeAnna Wicks
On the tournament ... "Personally, I was pleased with the way I played this weekend. Today the course conditions were much different than they were on Saturday. There was a really strong wind blowing in the opposite direction than it had earlier, so that made the course play a lot longer and might have accounted for some of the higher scores. Obviously, I would have like to have finished stronger, but I was pleased with the way I was able to hang in there."
On winning her first individual title ... "It was exciting. I just wanted to put together three good scores and let the chips fall as they may, but obviously things worked out well. I'm just excited. I feel like all my hard work has paid off and am feeling really confident in my game right now."
On the team's feeling ... "As a team we were really proud of how we did this weekend and the way we came out very strong on the first day. Today we gave up some strokes, but the course conditions played into some of that so that didn't really bother us. It feels great to have won six tournaments this season and very good to have repeated as champs here after winning this tournament last year. It is a great confidence boost going into the Big Ten Tournament."
N O T E S
For the first time in school history the Wolverines have won six tournament team titles in a single season. The Wolverines had a perfect fall season, winning Stetson's Hatter Fall Classic (Oct. 19-21), the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9), the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 7-9) and the Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23). They have added spring titles at the Indiana Invitational (April 6-7) and Hawkeye Invitational (April 13-14).
The six titles this season is a school record for most tournament titles in a season. The Wolverines have surpassed the mark of three tournament titles in a season, accomplished last season (2000-01) and during the 1995-96 season.
Dating back to the start of the 2001 spring season, the team victory at Hawkeye Invitational gives the Maize and Blue nine team titles in its last 16 regular-season tournaments; nine in the last 18 total tournaments including postseason events.
The win at the Hawkeye Invitational gives the Wolverines their 18th team title since 1981, 13 of which have come under head coach Kathy Teichert's reign (1994-present).
With 10 tournaments under their belts, the Wolverines have not finished lower than fourth in the 2001-02 season. Michigan has won six times along with one runner-up finish and three fourth-place efforts this season.
The Wolverines successfully defended their 2001 Hawkeye Invitational team and individual titles. The Maize and Blue won (290-287-311/888) and LeAnna Wicks was the medalist (68-72-77/217). In 2001, the Wolverines won the team title (299-302-301/902) and Kim Benedict won the individual medalist honor in a four-player playoff (73-74-76/223).
The Wolverines' second-round team total of 287 tied the Michigan record for lowest single-round total. The Maize and Blue carded a 287 in the third round of the 2000 Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 9-10, 2000).
The Wolverines' first-round team total of 290 ties their third best single-round total. The Maize and Blue have fired 290s in the first round of the 2001 Lady Northern (Sept. 21-23, 2001) of the 2001 Shootout of the Legends (Oct. 8-9).
LeAnna Wicks' first-round 68 and Laura Olin's second-round total of 68 tied the Michigan mark for lowest single-round score. Last fall Kim Benedict fired a 68 in the first round of the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9, 2001).
LeAnna Wicks' and Laura Olin's rounds of 68 are just the third and fourth rounds ever fired below the 70-stroke barrier. Kim Benedict carded a 68 in the first round of the 2001 Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 8-9) and Cortney Reno shot a 69 in the third round of the 2000 Shootout of the Legends (Oct. 9-10, 2000).
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
