Women's Golf Finishes Third At 2004 Big Ten Championships

April 25, 2004

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Despite steady rain on the final day of play at the 2004 Big Ten Championships, Michigan State women's golf shot the second-best score of the day with a 299 to move up three spots and finish third at this year's conference championship on Sunday, April 25. State finished with a 72-hole total of 1,227 (304-317-307-299) at the par 72, 6,201-yard OSU Scarlet Golf Course on the Ohio State campus.

Ohio State, which was playing on its home course, won its third straight conference title, finishing with a 1,199 (301-299-306-293). Indiana (1,216) was second, followed by Michigan State (1,227), Purdue (1,231), Michigan (1,243) and Wisconsin (1,243).

Four Spartans finished in the top 20 and were led by seniors Sarah Martin (Grosse Ile, Mich.) and Allison Fouch (Grand Rapids, Mich.), who finished tied for eighth and tied for 11th, respectively. Martin finished with a 305 (74-77-80-74), including a 74 in Sunday's final round. Martin's 305 ranks tied for 14th on MSU's low 72-hole tournament score. Meanwhile, Fouch shot a team-best 73 on Sunday and finished two strokes behind Martin with a 307 (76-81-77-73). Fouch's 307 marks the 17th-best low 72-hole tournament score in State history.

Indiana's Danah Ford took medalist honors after finishing with a 287 (74-72-70-71).

Red-shirt freshman Rachel Meikle (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and freshman Mandi McConnell (Grand Blanc, Mich.) also finished in the top 20. Meikle shot a 72-hole score of 309 (78-78-75-78), which is the 20th lowest 72-hole tournament score in MSU history. McConnell finished tied for 17th, just one stroke behind Meikle with a 310 (76-81-77-76).

Senior Ann Marie Kersten (Oak Harbor, Ohio) and freshman Heather Rose (Chillicothe, Ohio) round out the Spartan line-up. Kersten finished tied for 27th with a 317 (79-84-78-76), while Rose tied for 36th with a 321 (78-83-80-80).

Michigan State will find out on Monday, April 26 where the team will head for the NCAA Regionals, May 6-8 as the 2004 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships selection will be announced at 3 p.m. EDT. The regional championships will be held at three different sites (East - Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.; Central - University Golf Course in Normal, Ill.; West - Sanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.).

Big Ten ChampionshipsOSU Scarlet Course (Columbus, Ohio)April 23-25, 2004
Final Team StandingsPlace   Name            Scores1   Ohio State  1199 (301-299-306-293)2   Indiana         1216 (308-297-299-312)3   Michigan State  1227 (304-317-307-299)4   Purdue          1231 (305-310-303-313)T5  Michigan    1243 (312-305-308-318)T5  Wisconsin   1243 (306-305-315-317)7   Northwestern    1248 (313-305-316-314)8   Iowa            1253 (311-312-313-317)T9  Penn State  1266 (313-319-316-318)T9  Illinois    1266 (312-313-318-323)11  Minnesota   1288 (327-317-327-317)
Final Top 10 Individual ResultsPlace   Name, School                    Scores1   Dana Ford, Indiana              74-72-70-71=2872   Allison Hanna, Ohio State   72-73-74-73=2923   Kristen White, Ohio State   76-76-71-73=2964   Malinda Johnson, Wisconsin  72-73-77-77=2995   Beth Hermes, Purdue         75-76-75-74=300T6  Karen Dennison, Indiana         76-71-75-80=302T6  O. Sattayabanphot, Purdue   76-77-73-76=302T8  Sarah Martin, Michigan State    74-77-80-74=305T8  Amber Weinerth, Penn State  78-75-74-78=30510  Brianna Broderick, Michigan     76-75-76-79=306

Final MSU Individual StandingsSarah Martin        74-77-80-74=305 (tied for 8th)Allison Fouch      76-81-77-73=307 (tied for 11th)Rachel Meikle      78-78-75-78=309 (tied for 14th)Mandi McConnell          76-81-77-76=310 (tied for 17th)Ann Marie Kersten   79-84-78-76=317 (tied for 27th)Heather Rose        78-83-80-80=321 (tied for 36th)