Sept. 26, 1998

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Notre Dame sophomore Mary Klein (Kokomo, Ind.) moved into a share of ninth while the Irish women remained in 10th place out of 12 teams, following second-round action Saturday at the Lady Northern Intercollegiate, the first tournament to be held at the Pete Dye-designed Kampen Golf Course. Play concludes with a final round on Sunday.

Klein fired 81 on Saturday, after opening with a 79 on Friday, and stands tied with four other golfers among the 87-player field. Junior captain Andrea Klee is tied for 35th after posting consistent rounds of 83 and 84 on the challenging par-72, 5,996-yard course.

Other Notre Dame second-round scores included an 86 from sophomore newcomer Shane Smith, a transfer from SMU, and an 81 from freshman Kristin McMurtrie, with both those players tied for 49th heading into the final round. Junior Brigid Fisher (90-86) and sophomore Becca Schloss (96-92) round out the Notre Dame six-player contingent.

Ohio State used a second-round 321 to surge atop the team standings with a 636 total, just two strokes ahead of Penn State (638). Four other teams remain within striking distance of first place, including Indiana (318-325/643)-the nation’s #6-ranked team which finds itself battling just to stay in sixth place of this particular tournament-and three teams who are tied for third at 641: host Purdue (329-312), Michigan State (322-319) and first-round leader Northwestern (311-330).

Northwestern’s Christie Helms (73-79) holds a two-shot lead on Michigan State’s Kasey Gant (78-76) and Purdue’s Stacey Orschell (77-77). Klein and the other four players tied for ninth are three shots out of seventh, four out of sixth and five out of fourth.

TEAM STANDINGS (36 holes of 54): 1. Ohio State 315-321/636; 2. Penn State 321-315/638; 3. Purdue 329-312/641; Michigan State 322-319/641; Northwestern 311-330/641; 6. Indiana 318-325/643; 7. Wisconsin 322-329/651; 8. Minnesota 333-326/659; 9. Iowa 337-328/665; 10. Notre Dame 337-332/669; 11. Michigan 324-352/676; 12. Northern Illinois 350-356/706; 13. Illinois 358-352/710; 14. Butler 456-452/908.

TOP INDIVIDUALS (of 87): 1. Christie Hermes (NW) 73-79/152; 2. Kasey Gant (MSU) 78-76/154; Stacey Orschell (PUR) 77-77/154; 4. Laura Hammond (PSU) 76-79/155; Erin Carney (IU) 77-78/155; 6. Lisa Strom (OSU) 76-80/156; 7. Allie Bloomquist (WIS) 75-82/157; Natalie Mosher (OSU) 76-81/157; 9. Melanie Lepp (MINN) 82-78/160; Mary Klein (ND) 79-81/160; Emily Gilley (NW) 79-81/160; Sami Montgomery (IU) 77-83/160; Tiffany Fisher (IU) 80-80/160.

NOTRE DAME SCORES: 35. Andrea Klee 83-84/167; 49. Shane Smith 85-86/171; 49. Kristin McMurtrie 90-81/171; 61. Brigid Fisher 90-86/176; 77. Becca Schloss 96-94/190.