October 23, 1998

BONITA BAY, Fla. – The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team stands tied for sixth place out of 13 teams at the second annual Notre Dame Invitational, being held this season at the par-72, 5,930-yard Bonita Springs Cypress Golf Course. The Irish posted a first round score of 318 in Friday’s play-six/count-four format, with the tournament set to conclude with a final round on Saturday. Notre Dame is tied with Minnesota and Illinois State, just six shots behind third-place Kent while holding a five-shot cushion on ninth-place Iowa. Notre Dame junior captain Andrea Klee and sophomore Mary Klein are tied with two others for 16th in the 76-player field and will enter the final round just three shots out of second place.

Individual leader Patty Frohna of Wisconsin fired a first-round 71 while leading her team to a 302 total and a five-shot lead on Michigan State. Kent’s Cheryl Tooshkening and Northwestern’s Emily Gilley are four shots off the pace after opening-round 75s.

Irish freshman Kristin McMurtrie is tied for 27th after a solid 80, with junior Brigid Fisher (82), sophomore Shane Smith (84) and junior Beth Cooper (84) rounding out the Irish contingent. Notre Dame sophomores Becca Schloss and Danielle Villarosa both fired first-round 81s while competing as individual entrants.

TEAM STANDINGS (18 holes of 36): 1. Wisconsin 302; 2. Michigan State 307; 3. Kent 312; 4. Northwestern; 5. Michigan 315; 6. Minnesota 318; Notre Dame 318; Illinois State 318; 9. Iowa 323; Xavier 325; 11 .Cincinnati 328; 12. Illinois 350; 13. Boston College.

TOP PLAYERS (of 76): 1. Patty Fronha (SIC) 71; 2. Cheryl Tooshkenig (KENT) 75; Emily Gilley (NW) 75; 4. Jena Harris (CIN) 76; Misia Lemanski (MICH) 76; Jill Rachford (ISU) 76; Meggan Schumaker (MSU) 76; Andrea Meeker (WIS) 76; 9. M.C. Mullen (IOWA) 77; Kasey Gant (MSU) 77; Melissa Beck (XAV) 77; Emily Bastel (MSU) 77; Paula Greening (XAV) Kelly Trapp (WIS) 77; Ellen Bishop (MSU) 77.

NOTRE DAME SCORES: 16. Andrea Klee 78; 16. Mary Klein 78; 27. Kristin McMurtrie 80; 36. Danielle Villarosa (ind.) 81; Becca Schloss (ind.) 81; 41. Brigid Fisher 82; 50. Shane Smith 84; Beth Cooper 84.