Women's Golf

March 6, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. - After more than two weeks off from competitive play, the nationally-ranked Michigan State women's golf team returns to action with the 15th annual "Mo"Morial Tournament, hosted by Texas A&M at the Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas. The three-day, 54-hole tournament begins on Friday morning with 9 a.m. ET tee times off the first and 10th holes. Saturday's format will mirror Friday, while on Sunday there will be a 10 a.m. ET shotgun start, followed by an awards ceremony.

"We have spent six wonderful days in Texas so far on our spring break trip," said head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll. "Our team has been diligently working on improving upon those things we needed to get better at, while maintaining what we know is already good. Experiencing the Houston rodeo for our traditional `fun activity' was a blast for the team and we were definitely cultured today in many different ways. We will now travel to College Station to compete in the `Mo'Morial and look forward to all the opportunities that will present to us."

The Spartans are ranked nationally in all three of the prominent college golf polls. In the first Golf World/NGCA Division I Coaches' Poll of the spring season, released on Wednesday, MSU moved up to No. 22, after ending the fall at No. 24. With their success at the Central District Invitational, the Spartans also improved to No. 20 in the Golfweek/Sagarin team rankings and sit at No. 27 in the Golfstat head-to-head standings with a 207-26 record this season.

Michigan State has won two tournament so far this season, including the Central District Invitational in their last competition. The Spartans, who were named to the Golfweek team of the week honor roll, topped the CDI field, including 10 of the top 50 programs in the country, by 10 strokes with a three-round total of 28-over par 892 (291-298-303). The score was the second lowest in the eight-year history of the tournament and the finish was the second tournament win for MSU this season.

Seniors Sara Brown and Jordyn Wells, sophomore Laura Kueny, and freshmen Michelle Bowles and Aimee Neff will construct the Spartans' starting five this weekend. Junior Holly Niederkohr and redshirt sophomore Jen Domagalski will compete as individuals.

Brown, who is ranked No. 42 in the Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings, is coming off a victory at the Central District Invitational, where she topped the fied by seven strokes with a four-under par 212 (70-70-72). The total was the second best 54-hole score in Michigan State women's golf history and earned her Golfweek, Golfworld and Big Ten Player of the Week honors. The Spartans' career stroke average leader at 75.43, Brown currently has a season stroke average is 74.16.

Wells owns arguably the greatest single shot of the Spartans season so far. The senior posted a hole-in-one on the 180-yard, 12th hole of her opening round of the Central District Invitational. The shot is only the seventh hole-in-one in MSU history and the first since Emily Bastel accomplished the feat at the Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 23, 1998. Wells finished in a tie for 15th in the event with a 12-over 228 (74-77-77) and is fourth on the team with a 77.83 average this season.

Kueny is off to a fast start in her sophomore season, ranking No. 26 in the Golfstat/Sagarin rankings, after leading the Spartans in every event this fall, including a first place finish at the Mary Fossum Invitational. The team leader with a 73.67 stroke average, she tied for 12th at the CDI and 38th at the Northrup Grumman so far this spring.

Neff has two top-10 individual finishes in her freshman campaign, including a tie for ninth last time out at the CDI with a nine-over 225 (71-75-79). She is third on the squad with a 75.72 average and is second with three rounds under par. Bowles is starting just her fifth tournament in her MSU career and has a season average of 79.42.

The "Mo"Morial field of 15 schools, includes three programs, in addition to MSU, which are ranked in the GolfWorld top-25 - No. 17 Denver, No. 18 Kent State and the No. 23 Aggies - and nine of the top-50 teams in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

Live scoring will be conducted by Golfstat every three holes during tournament play. You can access the scores by clicking here.

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