Women's Golf Fifth at Lady Racer Classic :: Freshman Kelly Villareal leads Bulldogs again

Oct. 1, 2001

MURRAY, Ky. - Freshman Kelly Villareal shot a first-round 82 to place 18th and to help the Samford women's golf team to a fifth-place start at the Lady Racer Classic.

Villareal shot a 41 on both nines for her 82, eight strokes behind individual leader Samantha Fox of Austin Peay State. In only her second collegiate tournament, Villareal has posted the best score by a Bulldog golfer for three consecutive rounds. Sara Gossum's 83 placed her in 21st in a tie with teammate Tara Clayton, followed by Courtney Sanders' 86 in 30th position and Tricia Harlow in 33rd with a first-round 87.

"I think our top three golfers all agreed that they should have broken 80," said Head Coach Ian Thompson. "This is a reasonably demanding course, but our ball striking was greatly improved from the last tournament and I feel that the potential for us to finish in the top half of the field is very strong."

Host Murray State leads after one round with 311, followed by Eastern Illinois (T-316) and Arkansas State (T-316) in second, Austin Peay State (332) in fourth and Samford (334) and Birmingham-Southern (334) tied for fifth. Western Kentucky (335), Lipscomb (347), Rhodes College (357), Murray State Gold (358) and John A. Logan (362) rounded out the field.