Michigan
Wolverine Invitational
U-M in Second After 36 Holes of Wolverine Invitational
9/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's golf team is in second place after 36 holes of its own Wolverine Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 14) at the U-M Golf Course. The Wolverines (309-310/619) sit nine strokes behind first-day leader Indiana (304-306/610), while East Carolina (307-315/622) is in third. The top three teams will be paired together for Sunday's final round.
Indiana's Karen Dennison holds the first-day lead with her two-over-par 146 total after rounds of 72 and 74. Eastern Michigan's Heather Nolan (75-74/149) and James Madison's Jessica Lewis (74-75/149) sit in second, while three players are tied for fourth.
As for Michigan, senior Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS), sophomore Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) and freshman Amy Schmucker (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori HS) are all tied for seventh after the first day.
Benedict opened her season with a birdie on her very first hole but played the next 11 holes in six over par before parring the last six holes to finish with an opening round of 77. In the second round, Benedict bogeyed two of the first five holes and double-bogeyed No. 6 to drop to plus-four. She responded with pars on the next six holes and birdied No. 13 before a bogey at No. 14 stopped her run. After another bogey on No. 16, she parred in for her second 77 and a two-round 154 total.
Starting on No. 1, Olin came out swinging away, birdieing three of her first four holes -- Nos. 1, 3 and 4 -- before firing yet another on No. 9 to give her a front nine score of 34. But the back side was a different story as she made eight bogeys and one par (No. 15) to shoot 77. In her second round, Olin bogeyed No. 3 only to birdie No. 4 to bring back her to even par. Another birdie on No. 6 put her in the red, but a following bogey put her back at even. She parred eight of the next 10 holes before running into trouble in the No. 18 fairway bunker to finish with her second round of 77 for a 154 total.
Playing in her first collegiate tournament, Schmucker started with a double-bogey on her opening hole, No. 18, but she was two under on her next nine holes, with birdies on Nos. 3 and 5. She followed with five more pars before a double-bogey on No. 15 and finished at 75 for her opening round. Schmucker started her second round with a birdie on No. 18 but then bogeyed four of the next nine holes to sit at plus-three at the turn. She bogeyed four of her last eight holes to finish with a second-round 79 and a 154 total.
Other Michigan first-round totals included: junior/sophomore Courtney Goebel (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS), 80-77/157; fifth-year senior Stephanie Stasik (Lubbock, Texas/Coronado HS), 82-85/157; and junior Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day), 85-83/168. Competing as individuals, freshman Lauren Ham (Flushing, Mich./Flushing HS) finished the day with rounds of 83-91 for a 174 total, while freshman Brandi Zielinski (Sylvania, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) finished her day with rounds of 89-91 for a 180 total.
The Wolverine Invitational concludes Sunday (Sept. 15) with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. Players will be playing in threesomes starting off holes No. 1 and No. 10. Michigan's tee times run from 8:54 to 9:39.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Indiana 304-306 = 610 (+34) 2. MICHIGAN 309-310 = 619 3. East Carolina 307-315 = 622 4. James Madison 318-319 = 637 5. Bradley 326-319 = 645 6. Eastern Michigan 324-332 = 656 7. Ohio 330-329 = 659 8. Ferris State 325-336 = 661 9. Grand Valley 334-333 = 667 10. Bowling Green 342-326 = 668 11. Ball State 331-343 = 674
Top Individuals
1. Karen Dennison, Indiana 72-74 = 146 (+2)
2. Heather Nolan, Eastern Michigan 75-74 = 149
Jessica Lewis, James Madison 74-75 = 149
4. Adrienne Millican, East Carolina 75-77 = 152
Ambry Bishop, Indiana 78-74 = 152
Jessica Krasny, East Carolina 75-77 = 152
7. Danah Ford, Indiana 79-75 = 154
Kim Benedict, U-M 77-77 = 154
Laura Olin, U-M 77-77 = 154
Amy Schmucker, U-M 75-79 = 154
11. Carmen Bodine, Ball State 74-82 = 156
12. Courtney Goebel, U-M 80-77 = 157
Margaret Mitchell, East Carolina 77-80 = 157
Other Michigan Scores
T34. Stephanie Stasik 82-85 = 167 37. Sarah Kruer 85-83 = 168 53. Lauren Ham* 83-91 = 174 T62. Brandi Zielinski* 89-91 = 180
* competing as individuals
N O T E S
• Freshman Amy Schmucker competed in her first collegiate tournament and led the Wolverines in the first round with a three-over 75. She followed with a 79 in the second round to sit in a tie for seventh after the first day with a 154 total.
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Kathy Teichert
On the first day of the Wolverine Invitational ... "I'm really happy to see Courtney Goebel play as well as she did. She came back, and she hasn't gotten into any competitive events, so that's a good sign. Both Kim (Benedict) and Laura (Olin) did okay with 77s, but these players are much better than that. Those two need to step it up tomorrow in order to be successful. (Amy) Schmucker, for her first outing, didn't do bad either. I know she's disappointed in her second round this afternoon, and it wouldn't surprise me if she came back tomorrow with a better score. Sarah Kruer and Stephanie Stasik, it was a little disappointing to see the scores that they posted, especially with the way they've been playing. Those two players are better than that, and again we need to have them step it up. We have to have all six of these players step it up in order to do well in this tournament; we can't just rely on four players. Nine strokes is a lot of strokes, and that's where it needs to be a team effort. We have to have good scores from all six players. We have to come out of the gate very quick, stay focused, and we have to end up finishing well. That will be the key for us to overtake Indiana."
Players Mentioned
