Feb. 21, 2004

Hattiesburg, Miss ----- The UAB women's golf team opened the 2004 spring season on a high note, taking a second-place finish at the Miss Louis Season Opener. The Lady Blazers finished the event with a 635 (317-318) and ended the competition six strokes behind tournament champion Louisville (325-304/629).

UAB led by six strokes over Southern Miss and eight strokes over Louisville after the opening round score of 317. However, the Lady Blazers' score of 318 in the final 18 holes was outdone by the Cardinals' 304 to give U of L the tournament crown.

The Lady Blazers had three individuals finish in the top-10, led by junior Brooke Mangan who finished the tournament with a 154 (73-81), just one stroke behind individual medal winner Elly Leonard of Louisville (80-73/153). Liz Schweihs finished in a tie for third, just two strokes behind Mangan with a 156 (73-81), while sophomore Janey Deimling closed play with a 157 (81-76) on the afternoon.

Freshman Martha Hudson competed well, carding a 168 (85-83) on the par 72, 4,808-yard Sadow Ridge golf course. Senior Katie Kane rounded out the UAB golfers, shooting a 178 (89-89) to finish in a tie for 27th overall.

Six teams competed in the event and the top three teams were all from Conference USA. Behind the Cardinals and Lady Blazers was tournament host Southern Miss (323-316/639). New Orleans finished fourth overall with a 651 (326-325), while Jackson State (351-337/688) and Mobile (369-354/723) rounded out the field.

The Lady Blazers will next compete at the LSU Cleveland Golf Classic on March 5-7 in Baton Rouge, La.