September 25, 2009

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA . . . Defending Iowa Conference women's golf medalist Sarah Paulson of Central fired a 1-over-par 73 to take a one-stroke lead over Wartburg's Ellen Rickert following the first round of the 2009 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Women's Golf Championship at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course Friday.

Wartburg College holds the 18-hole lead after firing a 311 with Central College 11 strokes back at 322. Simpson College (335) is in third place followed by Luther College (337). Wartburg’s score is the sixth-best round in IIAC Championship history and the third-best for the Knights at the tournament. Central’s 322 is the second-best round at the Championship for the Dutch, bettered only by a 321 in 1987.

Wartburg's Daina Deery sits third, five shots off the lead following a 78, while teammate Kelsi Sawatzky is six back after a 79. A fourth Wartburg golfer - Jordan Galles - is part of a 3-way tie for fifth with Luther's Emily Looft and Kate Traxler with 80s. Central's Eva Downes is eighth with an 81 and Central's Kaurie Kincaid, Cornell's Na Ra Pak, and Simpson's Katie Vaux are tied for ninth after carding 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 Wartburg, Central and Simpson. Luther, Coe, and Buena Vista golfers will be paired together in the second wave of tee times, while the fianl wave will be comprised of golfers from Loras, Dubuque, and Cornell.

Complete first round results can be found here.

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