MSU Spartans
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Sept. 14, 1997

MSU Freshman Wins Mary Fossum Invitational

Gant Sets Two School Records In First College Tournament, Leads Spartans To Second-Place Finish

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State freshman Kasey Gant (Fort Wayne, Ind.) exploded onto the college golf scene this weekend, setting two school records en route to medalist honors at her first college tournament, the newly named Mary Fossum Invitational at Forest Akers West.

Gant sank a breaking, 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to give her a final-round two-under-par 70, making her just the third Spartan (and first in 13 years) to shoot a 70. Gant's three-round, even-par 216 (71-75-70) shatters current LPGA star Barb Mucha's 14-year-old school record of 219 for a three-day tournament and outdistanced the second-place finisher by six strokes.

"She has played so well," said head coach Stacy Slobodnik, who was coaching in her first tournament. "I had some good ideas about her talents, but I did not know she had the ability to play this well in her first tournament."

MSU's two-day, three-round team total of 934 put the Spartans in second place, 25 strokes behind Indiana (909) and 12 shots ahead of third-place Iowa (946). Four Spartans (Gant, April Holly, Meggan Schumaker and Ellen Bishop) finished in the top 19.

Gant's emergence highlighted a strong team showing. She had consecutive birdies on Nos. 8, 9 and 10, starting with a chip-in at No. 8. She missed just one fairway all day (No. 11).

"This is so amazing," Gant said. "I was just thinking about playing each hole as well as I could." 

GANT'S RECORD ROUND, SEPT. 14, 1997
Hole    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   OUT 10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  IN  TOTAL
Par     4   4   4   5   4   3   4   3   5   36  4   4   3   5   3   4   5   4   4   36  72
Gant    4   4   4   5   4   3   4   2   4   34  3   5   3   5   3   5   5   4   3   36  70
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS 
1.  Indiana University  307 302 300  909
2.  Michigan State      316 307 311  934
3.  Iowa                324 312 310  946
4.  Notre Dame          320 323 325  968
5.  Michigan            326 330 318  974
6.  Ohio Univ.          334 324 328  986
7.  Toledo              337 331 322  990
8.  Bowling Green       327 324 340  991
9.  Tri-State Univ.     342 330 336 1008
10. Xavier              352 331 329 1012
11. Franklin College    346 335 338 1019
12. Cincinnati          345 348 333 1026
13. Ferris State        353 344 340 1037
14. Indianapolis        356 366 338 1060
15. Alma College        380 382 382 1144
FINAL TOP 20 PLAYERS 
1.  Kasey Gant          Michigan State      71  75  70  216
2.  Erin Carney         Indiana             76  73  73  222
3.  M.C. Mullen         Iowa                76  74  74  224
4.  Michelle Hatfield   Indiana             78  75  73  226
5.  Jenny Gray          Indiana             75  76  77  228
6.  Julee Sovesky       Ohio                76  79  78  233
T7. Sharon Park         Michigan            76  82  77  235
    Theresa McDermott   Indiana             78  78  79  235
9.  Kate Kolesnik       Bowling Green       77  76  85  238
T10.Heather Fueger      Ohio                81  80  79  240
    Andrea Klee         Notre Dame          79  80  81  240
    April Holly         Michigan State      81  78  81  240
T14.Shelley Jonda       Cincinnati          84  78  79  241
    Katie King          Notre Dame          83  79  79  241
    Cindy Gant          Toledo              85  79  77  241
    Stacey Bergman      Iowa                82  79  80  241
    Kelli Carney        Iowa                84  80  77  241
T19.Melissa Beck        Xavier              82  77  83  242
    Meggan Schumaker    Michigan State      81  78  83  242
    Ellen Bishop        Michigan State      84  76  82  242
OTHER SPARTANS
T34.    Tricia Gregory      83  88  79  250
T53.    Kellie Dennis       90  87  81  258
Competing as individuals:
T45.    Summer Kline        85  84  85  254
T51.    Jaime Martin        87  84  86  257

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