Irish improve 10 strokes in final round.

April 18, 1999

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Notre Dame women's golf team improved 10 strokes while maintaining its seventh-place standing in final-round action Sunday at the Iowa Invitational.

Notre carded a final-round 327 for a 664 total at the par-73, 5,000-yard Finkbine Golf Course, finishing seven shots behind Michigan in the nine-team tournament. Indiana (614) outdistanced runner-up Minnesota by 24 strokes for the team title.

Notre Dame's solid final round included 81s from sophomore Shane Smith and junior Beth Cooper, an 82 from sophomore Mary Klein (Kokomo, Ind.), an 84 by junior captain Andrea Klee and an 83 from freshman Kristin McMurtrie (85). Sophomore Danielle Villarosa (80) and freshman Lauren Fuchs (86) competed as individual entrants.

Klein led the Irish by tying for 23rd with a 164 total, followed by Klee (167), McMurtrie (168) and Smith 168). Villarosa turned in a solid 169 total while Cooper overcame a rocky first round to finish at 171. Fuchs posted a 173 total in her first intercollegiate tournament with the Irish.

TEAM STANDINGS:

1. Indiana              307-307/614 
2. Minnesota            318-320/638 
3. Northwestern         327-318/645 
4. Wisconsin            330-319/649 
5. Iowa                 331-322/653 
6. Michigan             333-324/657 
7. Notre Dame           337-327/664 
8. Arkansas-Little Rock 343-323/666 
9. Illinois             348-341/689

TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 54):

1. Erin Carney (IND)            72-79/151 
2. Theresa McDermott (IND)      79-75/154 
   Tiffany Fisher (IND)         80-74/154 
4. Michelle Hatfield (IND)      76-79/155 
5. Karen England (NW)           77-80/157 
Michelle Ballou (MINN)          79-78/157

NOTRE DAME SCORES:

23. Mary Klein                  82-82/164 
30. Andrea Klee                 83-84/167 
32. Kristin McMurtrie           85-83/168 
32. Shane Smith                 87-81/168 
34. Danielle Villarosa (ind.)   89-80/169 
41. Beth Cooper                 90-81/171 
45. Lauren Fuchs (ind.)         87-86/173