May 10, 2006
Results
ALLENDALE, Mich. - Having problems both at the start and finish, the Western Washington University women's golf team is tied for fifth after opening-day action Wednesday at the NCAA Division II National Championship being held at The Meadows. The 72-hole tournament runs through Saturday.
Rollins FL, which has won the last three national titles, has a 10-stroke lead after shooting a 9-over par 297.
Six strokes separate the next five teams. Ferris State MI is second at 307, followed by Grand Valley State MI 308 and Lynn FL 311. Western and Western New Mexico are tied at 313. Western New Mexico won the West Region title by five strokes over the Vikings.
"We started slowly and finished poorly, but we played well in between," said Western coach Bo Stephan. "We played better than we scored and that was frustrating for everybody.
"We're only six shots out of second, so we're not in a terrible position. Tomorrow is a big day as far as movement on the scoreboard is concerned. We need to establish ourselves as a threat."
Rounding out the eight-team field are Nebraska Omaha (324) and Minnesota State, Mankato (328).
Western's Katja Trygg (Sr., Bainbridge Island), ranked fifth nationally entering the tourney, is in a five-way tie for 11th after shooting a 4-over 76. Trygg tied for 15th at nationals last year after placing 16th in 2004.
The Vikings' Candice Wagner (Sr., Milton/Fife) is in a five-way tie for 16th (77) and Katie Bender (Jr., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) is in a seven-way tie for 21st (78). Allison Gillette (So., Seattle/Ballard) is 36th (82) and Catherine Kim (So., Bellevue/Skyline) is tied for 37th (83).
Florida Southern's Lindsey Bergeon and Grand Valley State's Kate MacDonald are tied for medalist honors at even par 72. In third place is Rollins' Charlotte Campbell, who was the national champion in 2003 and 2004.
It is the third straight trip to nationals for the Vikings, No.5 in the latest Golfstat national ratings. They have placed fifth in each of the last two years.
This is the fifth national appearance overall for Western, which went twice while affiliated with the NAIA, placing eighth in 1998 and 10th in 1997.
The Vikings won seven of eight tournaments during the regular season.
