May 19, 2011
Live Scoring
BRYAN, Texas - Led by a 2-over 74 from sophomore Demi Runas on Thursday, the 14th-ranked UC Davis women's golf team posted an eight-shot improvement over its first-round score and moved into a tie for 20th midway through the NCAA Division I Championships at Traditions Golf Club.
The Aggies were 23rd after shooting a 313 team score during Wednesday's opening round but came in with a 17-over 305 in the second and are tied with Notre Dame and Ohio State at 42-over 618. They're just one shot behind 19th-place South Carolina and only five back of Stanford which is 18th.
Second-ranked UCLA is at 8-over 584 and leads defending national champion Purdue by three shots after 36 holes. LSU is four back of the Bruins in third while Texas A&M is five off the pace.
Runas' 74 put her at 8-over 152 and tied her for 63rd. Sophomore Amy Simanton, who opened the championship with a 73, is tied for 30th after shooting 76 on Thursday and is just 5 over for the tournament.
Senior Alice Kim had a 79 and is tied for 101st at 14-over, while freshman Jessica Chulya, who had a 77, and senior Chelsea Stelzmiller, who finished with a 78, are tied for 109th at 17-over.
Runas opened her round with two bogeys but then strung together 12 consecutive pars before two birdies later, including one on the closing par-5 18th, nearly helped her match Simanton's 73 as the Aggies' best of the tournament.
Simanton was just 1 over after nine holes and finished with 14 pars. Chulya sliced seven shots off her opening-round 83, also playing the front nine just a shot over par. Stelzmiller was 7 over at her turn but played the back nine impressively at 1 under thanks to two birdies and six pars. She was five shots lower than her opening round. Kim had a pair of birdies during her second round.
Austin Ernst of LSU shot 6-under 66 in the second round and has a three-shot lead over Numa Gulyanamitta of Purdue. Ernst is 6 under for the tournament. Only five players are currently below par.
The tournament continues with 18 holes on Friday before concluding on Saturday. UC Davis, which will tee off at 6 a.m. (Pacific), is making its second appearance at the NCAA Finals after just four years at the Division I level. The Aggies are two-time defending Big West Conference champions.
NCAA WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
Bryan, Texas (hosted by Texas A&M)
Traditions Golf Course
36 of 72 holes
TEAMS
1. UCLA, 289-295-584
2. Purdue, 292-295-587
3. LSU, 292-296-588
4. Texas A&M, 295-294-589
T5. Vanderbilt, 297-294-591
T5. Virginia, 291-300-591
7. Florida, 294-298-592
T8. Cal, 306-292-598
T8. Tennessee, 299-299-598
T8. North Carolina, 305-293-598
T11. Arizona, 304-295-599
T11. Arizona State, 296-303-599
T11. Minnesota, 305-294-599
14. Arkansas, 305-296-601
T15. USC, 302-302-604
T15. Alabama, 301-303-604
17. Wake Forest, 298-307-605
18. Stanford, 308-305-613
19. South Carolina, 302-315-617
T20. UC DAVIS, 313-305-618
T20. Notre Dame, 308-310-618
T20. Ohio State, 303-315-618
23. Washington, 312-307-619
24. Coastal Carolina, 322-302-624
INDIVIDUAL
1. Austin Ernst, LSU, 72-66-138
UC DAVIS
T30. Amy Simanton, 73-76-149
T63. Demi Runas, 78-74-152
T101. Alice Kim, 79-79-158
T109. Chelsea Stelzmiller, 83-78-161
T109. Jessica Chulya, 84-77-161
