Sept. 9, 2006

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Northern Illinois women's golf team stands in sixth place after two rounds at the Hawkeye Intercollegiate in the 2006-07 season opening tournament for the NIU women. The Huskies posted team rounds of 337 and 328 Saturday for a 36-hole total of 655 at the par 72, 6,631-yard Finkbine Golf Course.

Junior Abbie Many (Mt. Prospect, Ill.) led NIU on the first day as she posted rounds of 82 and 83 to move into a tie for 19th place at 21-over par 165. Fellow Mt. Prospect product Anne Senn carded the best round of the day for the Huskies as she followed an opening round 86 with an eight-over par 80 and is tied for 24th along with teammate Lisa Bailey (Decatur, Ill.) who shot 84-82 on Saturday. Rounding out the Huskie five were freshman Kim Hunley (Aurora, Ill.), who rebounded after an opening round 87 to shoot 81 in the second 18, and sophomore Nicci Schultz (Somonauk, Ill.) who shot 89-90. Hunley is tied for 26th after the first two rounds of the 54-hole event.

NIU sophomore Ashley Lods (Monticello, Ind.) shot 86-84 for a 36-hole total of 170 while playing as an individual at the event. She is tied for 32nd.

"It's always a challenge putting here," said NIU Head Coach Pam Tsyka. "It was really an up-and-down day. Some people did better in the first round and a different set did well in the afternoon. Annie Senn's had the low round of the day for us in the second round, which you like to see and our freshman, Kim Hunley, after seeing her first action collegiate action in the morning, came back nicely with an 81."

Host Iowa leads the nine-team event by 19 strokes after rounds of 306 and 304 Saturday. Missouri State is second at 629 (314-315), followed by Illinois (322-316) and Eastern Illinois (325-324). Northern is 10 strokes behind fifth-place Central Arkansas (328-327), and is seven strokes ahead of seventh-place Loyola (347-325). South Dakota State (352-331) and Western Illinois (347-351) round out the field.

Individually, Iowa's Karla Murra owns a three-stroke lead over Chelsea Bach of Eastern Illinois and Sally Hinton of Missouri State. Murra tallied a four-over par 148 on the day while Bach and Hinton are at seven-over par 151.

The teams will conclude the tournament Sunday with 18 holes beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Finkbine Golf Course.

TEAM RESULTS
1. Iowa 306-304=610
2. Missouri State 314-315=629
3. Illinois 322-316=638
4. Eastern Illinois 325-324=649
5. Central Arkansas 328-327=655
6. Northern Illinois 337-328=665
7. Loyola (Ill.) 347-325=672
8. South Dakota St. 352-331=683
9. Western Illinois 347-351=698

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Karla Murra (Iowa) 72-76=148 (+4); T2. Chelsea Bach (EIU) 74-77=151 (+7) and Sally Hinton (MSU) 75-76=151 (+7); 4. Amy Ripema (Iowa) 77-75=152 (+8); 5. Tyrette Metzendorf (Iowa) 78-76=154 (+10).

NORTHERN ILLINOIS RESULTS
T19. Abbie Many 82-83=165 (+21)
T24. Anne Senn 86-80=166 (+22)
T24. Lisa Bailey 82-84=166 (+22)
T26. Kim Hunley 87-81=168 (+26)
T42. Nicci Schultz 89-90=179 (+37)

*T32. Ashley Lods 86-84=170 (+28)

*Played as individual.

-- NIU --