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4/13/2009 - WOMEN'S GOLF
Jackson Leads Stetson to Early Lead at Championship
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Results
Courtesy ASunPhotos.com
DeLAND, Fla. - Playing on its home course, Stetson posted its best team score in its history at the Atlantic Sun Women’s Golf Championship and carries a two-stroke lead after the first round from Victoria Hills Golf Club.
Hatter junior, Danielle Jackson, ended the day as the lone golfer among the field of 50 to beat par, shooting a one-under, 71. She finished one shot clear of Campbell’s Belen Diaz Cisneros, a runner-up last year, and ETSU’s Sinead O’Sullivan. Jackson’s teammate, Lauren Cate sits in fourth, two strokes behind at one-over 73. Both Jackson and Cate sprinted out of the gate as Jackson birdied three of the first four holes, while Cate, a freshman, opened her A-Sun Championship with an eagle on the first hole.
Cisneros paced Campbell to second with an even-par round that featured a pair of birdies against two bogeys. Sandra Angulo, the 2008 Freshman of the Year, shot 75 with Sarah Bejgrowicz one shot behind the sophomore.
O’Sullivan led the reigning champions to a third-place showing after day one, rallying from four early bogeys to match Cisneros at level par. O’Sullivan stood at four over standing on the par-5 ninth tee. She birdied kicking off an eight-hole stretch that would include three more birdies. Sophomore Nina Muehl shares fifth position at two-over par. Defending champion, Laura Jansone suffered a pair of triple bogeys, but still managed to shoot a 79.
FGCU, making its A-Sun Championship debut, joined Campbell and ETSU as the only three schools to post five rounds in the 70s, led by Kastania Toomalatai’s 75. Her sister, Katerina, shot a 76. Jessica Paulmann and Jackie Fernandez shot matching 77s. Two other schools, Kennesaw State and USC Upstate made its inaugural appearances at the A-Sun Championship. The Owls finished Monday in fifth place, shooting a 310. The Spartans closed the day in ninth, carding a 322.
Mercer’s Alex Quagliata’s 74 carried the Bears to a sixth-place showing while Belmont’s Lorie Warren and Jennifer Newman shot matching 74’s, but three rounds in the 80s left the Bruins in seventh position. Jacksonville sits in eighth with Lipscomb rounding out the field.
Second-round action begins at 8:00 a.m. with USC Upstate’s Audrey Church and Lipscomb’s Lindsey Beard teeing off the first hole. Fans can follow the action at GolfStat.com.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
