March 10, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Thanks to the best overall team round of the afternoon, the No. 21/17 Michigan State women's golf team vaulted from sixth to third place at the Sun Trust Lady Gator Invitational at the par-70 University of Florida Golf Course on Saturday. Heading into the final round on Sunday, the Spartans are one stroke behind second-place Texas Christian and four behind tournament-leader No. 12 Florida.

Senior Rachel Meikle (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and sophomore Holly Niederkohr (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) led the Spartan charge with 1-over-par second rounds to lift the team to a collective 8-over-par 288. "I am just so happy for Holly to have a big round like that," Michigan State head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said, "and Rachel is just playing good golf right now."

Senior Heather Rose (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) led the way for the Spartans, as she turned in identical 3-over-par rounds to finish the day in a tie for seventh place. Starting on hole No. 8, Rose had three birdies in her first nine holes in the afternoon. Rose started with a 3-over-par 73 in the first round, notching her lone birdie on the par-4, 337-yard No. 14.

Meikle carded a 1-over-par in the second round to finish the day in a tie for 10th at 7-over-par. Meikle played even par on 15 holes in the second round to rise from 25th to 10th in the individual standings. She birdied the par-4, 379-yard No. 10. Starting on No. 9, Meikle finished her first round at 6-over-par. She birdied the par 4, 384-yard No. 18, but was hindered by a triple-bogey on the par-3 No. 2, which she scored a par on in the second round. However, after the hole, she finished by playing even-par on the final six holes of the round to set up her solid second round.

Like Meikle, Niederkohr likewise had a monster second round after an 8-over-par first round. Niederkohr had pars on 10 of her first 11 holes before scoring birdies on two of the next four holes (the par-3, 150-yard No. 2 and the par-4, 388-yard No. 5) to help pace her 1-over-par second round, which has her in 21st place.

Senior Mandi McConnell (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) also rebounded after a rough first round by finishing 3-over-par in the second round and 11-over-par for the day. Starting on hole No. 8, the Grand Blanc, Mich., native posted a birdie on the par-4, 355-yard No. 9 and played under par after her first nine holes of the second round. Even though she finished with three bogeys in the final nine holes, McConnell's second birdie on the par-4, 395-yard No. 4 kept the Spartan in 31st-place. McConnell struggled in the morning round, as she finished with an 8-over-par 78. She birdied the par-3, 159-yard No. 15 and the par-4, 395-yard No. 4, but was hampered by a seven on the par-3 No. 11.

"For both Rachel and Mandi to not just fight back from the big numbers, not just in their next round, but in the same round, that's awesome," Slobodnik-Stoll said, "and it says a lot about their resiliency."

Two other Spartans are also competing unattached with junior Jordyn Wells (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) in a tie for 42nd-place at 14-over-par and junior Kristen Polanski (Livonia, Mich./Livonia Stevenson) in a tie for 70th at 20-over-par.

The Spartans wrap up the Lady Gator with 18 holes on Sunday, the shotgun start set for 9 a.m.