HOT SPRINGS, Va. – Senior Sarah Sparks fired a 77 (+5) in leading the Xavier women’s golf team to an opening round of 320 (+32) at the 2005 Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Golf Championship on Friday at the par-72, 6,000-yard Old Course at the Homestead Resort. After 18 holes, the Musketeers are in fourth place trailing third place UNC Wilmington by just a stroke while James Madison leads the eight-team field as the Dukes carded a 16-over par 304.

Sparks picked up a pair of birdies and sits in eighth place with her team-leading first round of 77. Abby Fowler is eight-over par and in a tie for 12th after the first 18 holes as the senior fired an 80. Kathleen Hardy carded an 81 (+9), Kara Manis chipped in with an 82 (+10) and Diana Torry rounded out the field for Xavier as the freshman from Trinidad shot an opening round of 88.

Xavier will tee off tomorrow at 9:40 a.m. for the second round of the 2005 CAA Women’s Golf Championship.

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