September 28, 2007

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA . . . CEDAR FALLS, IOWA . . . Wartburg College’s Steph Burns jumped out to the first round lead of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) women’s golf Championship, shooting a three-over-par 75 at Pheasant Ridge Golf Club on Friday.

With three players in the top five and five in the top 15, Wartburg College holds the 18-hole lead at 318. Loras College is ten shots back in second place followed by Luther College (333), defending Conference Champion Simpson College (337), Coe College (347), and Central College (360). Wartburg’s score is the eighth-best 18-hole score in IIAC Championship history. Loras’ 328 ties the school’s fourth-best mark at the Iowa Conference Championship (2005, round 2).

Simpson’s Noel Triebel is two strokes behind Burns in the individual race followed by Wartburg’s Kate Thompson (78) and Loras’ Stephanie Schwartz (78). A trio of golfers is tied for fifth with opening-round 80s – Buena Vista’s Chelsea Anderson, Luther’s Amy Ekland, and Wartburg’s Daina Deery. Luther’s Emily Looft and Loras’ Brittney Davis are tied for eighth with 81s, while Loras’ Amy Kemp and Coe’s Angela Meisterling are tied for 10th after opening with 82s.

The IIAC Championship continues Saturday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls. Tee times begin at 9:00 a.m. with players from Loras, Luther and Wartburg. Central, Coe and Simpson golfers will be paired together as will Buena Vista, Cornell and Dubuque players.

Complete first round results are here.

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