Women's Golf Wins Third Straight Tournament
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
October 4, 1998
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Behind a commanding eight-stroke individual championship from sophomore Kasey Gant (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Michigan State's women's golf team won its third straight tournament this weekend at the 13-team Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Second-year head coach Stacy Slobodnik has led a tremendous turnaround for the Spartans this fall after the team finished ninth at the Big Ten Championship last spring. MSU, which had won the Mary Fossum Invitational and the Lady Northern in its two earlier outings this fall, has now won three consecutive tournaments for the first time since 1978. The Spartans, featuring five players in the top 17 individually, finished with 316-310=626, 26 strokes ahead of second-place Purdue. The tournament, originally scheduled for 54 holes at the University of Michigan Golf Course, was shortened to 36 holes due to rain on Saturday.
Gant produced her second individual title of the fall and the fourth of her career with a two-over par 74-74=148 on the par-73 course. She finished eight strokes ahead of Michigan's Sharon Park (76-80=156). Gant has led Michigan State in all three tournaments this fall with two first-place finishes and one fourth-place finish.
Gant had support from freshman Emily Bastel (Upper Sandusky, Ohio), who continued her impressive fall with a tie for third place. Bastel, who finished at 80-78=158, has not been beaten by another freshman this year.
Joining Gant and Bastel in the top 20 were senior Kellie Dennis (Jackson, Mich.) and freshman Stacy Snider (Grand Rapids, Mich.), who tied for seventh individually at 161. Senior Meggan Schumaker (Columbia City, Ind.) finished 17th at 84-82=166.
Michigan State returns to action October 12-13 at the Big Ten/Big 12 Shootout in Muncie, Ind., before closing out the fall portion of the schedule at the Notre Dame Invitational Oct. 23-24 in Bonita Bay, Fla.
WOLVERINE INVITATIONAL * U of M GOLF COURSE * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * PAR 73 * 5,962 YARDS
TEAM STANDINGS
1. MICHIGAN STATE, 316-310=626
2. Purdue, 328-324=652
3. Northwestern, 321-334=655
4. Michigan, 330-329=659
5. Cincinnati, 330-333=663
6. Eastern Michigan, 337-339=676
7. Kent, 344-335=679
8. Toledo, 334-347=681
9. Ohio U., 340-342=682
10. Notre Dame, 348-339=687
11. Bowling Green, 355-344=699
12. Xavier, 377-363=740
13. Western Michigan, 426-437=863
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS
1. Kasey Gant (MSU, So.), 74-74=148
2. Sharon Park (Michigan), 76-80=156
3. Emily Bastel (MSU, Fr.), 80-78=158
Shelley Jonda (Cincinnati), 79-79=158
Angela Blythe (Purdue), 78-80=158
6. Karen England (N'western), 78-81=159
7. Stacy Snider (MSU, Fr.), 78-83=161
Kellie Dennis (MSU, Sr.), 85-76=161
9. Three players tied, 162
OTHER MSU INDIVIDUALS
17. Meggan Schumaker (Sr.), 84-82=166
T33. Ellen Bishop (Sr.), 84-89=173