Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bucknell Women's Invitational
Bison Women's Golf Leads Bucknell Invitational After Record-Setting Day
9/11/2010 8:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 11, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The opening day of the 2010-11 women's golf season went exceptionally well for Bucknell, which tied the program record with a first-round 303, nearly matched it with a 304 in round two, and assumed a five-shot lead over defending champion William & Mary after 36 holes. Minjoo Lee (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston), who fired a 1-over 71 in the second round, has the individual lead by one shot over Bison freshman Lauren Bernard (Malvern, Pa./Academy of Notre Dame) and William & Mary's Emily Gimpel.
Bucknell broke the school 18-hole record with a 303 at the Big South Championship in the final event of the spring season, and the Bison wasted little time equaling it, even with three freshmen in the starting lineup. Katie Jurenovich (Warren, Ohio/Howland) led the team with a 73, equaling her career best round. Bernard shot 75 in her first collegiate round. Lee followed with a 76, and newcomers Kasha Scott (Cherry Hills Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) and Bridget Wilcox (Bernardsville, N.J./Taft School) shot 79 and 80 respectively.
In round two it was Lee producing a 71, one shot off her personal-best 70 at last year's Big South Championship. Bernard bettered her first round score by two with a 73, Jurenovich shot 78, and Wilcox and Scott both posted 82.
Lee (1st), Bernard (T-2nd) and Jurenovich (T-8th) are all in the top 10 in the individual standings.
While the first-round 303 tied a school-record, the team's overall total of 607 broke the school 36-hole mark by six strokes. The previous 36-hole standard was 613, also set at last year's Big South Championship.
William & Mary won this tournament by a whopping 36 strokes last season, but this year the Tribe enters Sunday's final round trailing Bucknell by five shots. William & Mary produced rounds of 307-305 on Saturday and is four shots ahead of third-place Rutgers (616). Lehigh is in fourth at 621, while Bucknell's Big South rival Radford is fifth at 625. Marshall (631), Siena (639), Oakland (648), Seton Hall (656), Robert Morris (660) and Hofstra (660) round out the top 10 in the 18-team field.
Bucknell also has a four-person "Blue" team entered in the tournament. That squad shot 340-332 on Saturday. Alana Friedlander (Weston, Conn./Hopkins School) led the team with an 81 in the first round, while Kelsey Meybin (Midlothian, Va./Saint Gertrude) shot 75 in the afternoon.
Bucknell's previous low round on its home course was a 315 in 2009. Lee's 74 had been the team's low individual round there until her 71 on Saturday.
The final 18 holes begin Sunday with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The Bison will be gunning for their first tournament title since winning their own tournament in 2006. Lee will be trying to join Jess Hetrich (2002) as Bucknell winners at this event.
