April 24, 2011

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2011 Women's Big Ten Championships -- Final Round
Result: Northwestern in third place with a 35-over 1,187 (308-293-300-286)
Site: Lake Shore Country Club (Par 72, 6,303 yards) • Glencoe, Ill.
Top NU Performer: Lauren Weaver 2-over 290 (71-77-69-73) finished in second place
Up Next: NCAA Regional Championships • Thursday, May 5-Saturday, May 7 • All Day
Northwestern Big Ten Championships Site | Big Ten Women's Golf Site

WATCH: Day Three Highlights | Day Three Post-Round Interviews

2011 Big Ten Women's Golf Championships -- Final Results

GLENCOE, Ill. -- On a crisp, cool afternoon at the 30th annual Big Ten Women's Golf Championships, Northwestern concluded the final round with a 2-under 286, the best team round of the tournament. Northwestern claimed two of the top three overall players as sophomore Lauren Weaver (Scottsdale, Ariz./Cactus Shadows) grabbed second place and junior Alex Lederhausen (Hinsdale, Ill./Central) finished third, fueling the 'Cats to a third-place overall finish. This year's 35-over 1,187 is Northwestern's best Big Ten Championships score in school history.

Weaver ended the final round with a 1-over 73, leaving her with a 2-over 288 (71-77-69-73) for the tournament. Her second-place finish was the best for Northwestern since she captured first place at the Lady Northern, essentially the Big Ten Championships preview earlier in the year.

As a team, the Wildcats were led in the fourth round by junior Alex Lederhausen's 2-under 70. Lederhausen (77-68-77-70=292), who shot a 5-over 77 in the third round, finished the tournament strong by putting together four birdies in the final round, including two in the last three holes.

With a birdie on 18, and four on the day, freshman Devon Brown (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) finished in stride with a 1-under 71. Her 9-over 297 placed her in control of eighth place, her best since the Wolverine Invitational where she placed third. With the respectable finishes by both Brown and Lederhausen, Northwestern captured five rounds below par in the fourth round, by far its best this season.

Wildcats senior Kelsey Lindenschmidt (West Chester, Ohio/Ursuline) fired an even-par 72, her best round of the tournament, moving her up 14 spots to a tie for 32nd-place with a 22-over 310 (80-80-78-72). Anne Ormson (Granger, Ind./St. Joseph's) and Rebecca Lederhausen (Hinsdale, Ill./Central) finished in 53rd and 59th respectively, rounding out the field for Northwestern. Both Ormson and the senior Lederhausen finished with their best rounds of the tournament, Ormson with a 6-over, 78 and Lederhausen with a 2-over 74 on the day.

Michigan State captured its second Big Ten Championship in five years, finishing at 28-over 1,180, with a close five-stoke advantage over Purdue (30-over, 1185). The two clubs battled back and forth the entire day until Purdue's Paula Reto shot a triple bogey on the par-3 hole 17. That gave the Spartans a two-stroke lead and enough of a cushion to outlast the Boilermakers.

Though they lost the team championship, Purdue had a bright spot as Numa Gulyanamitta shot a 1-under 71 in the final round to capture the individual title with a 1-under 287. Gulyanamitta also claimed the Mary Fossom Award, given to the player with the lowest stroke average to par after the year.

This year's All-Championships Team, made up of the top six finishers in the tournament, includes two Wildcats in Lauren Weaver and Alex Lederhausen. Purdue's Numa Gulyanamitta and Laura Gonzalez join Weaver and Lederhausen, as do Michigan State's Caroline Powers and Lindsey Solberg to round out the top six.

With the regular season now in the books, the Wildcats wait for the announcement of the 2011 NCAA Women's Golf Regional fields, which will come at 6 p.m. on Monday. Northwestern, ranked No. 38 in the most recent Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, is looking to make its second-consecutive appearance at the NCAA Regionals, and ninth overall. Information will be posted at ••••••

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