W. Golf finds bright spots in Ivy cellar

Freshman Stacy Kress took fifth for Penn at the Ivy Championships. The Penn women's golf team ended its first season of varsity play on a high note this past weekend after its better-than-expected showing at the Ivy League Championships. The Quakers shot a two-day total of 784 to finish sixth out of six teams in the 36-hole event held this past weekend at the par-72, 5,892-yard Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson, N.J. The Red and Blue were led by spectacular freshman Stacy Kress, who shot a 161 (80-81) to finish in a tie for fifth place and earn first team All-Ivy honors. Kress finished only eight strokes behind the champion, Yale's Sarah Seo, who shot a 153 (78-75) in the two-day tournament. The Quakers finally broke 400 this spring with a 394 on Saturday, only to better it with a 390 on Sunday. The two-day total of 784 put the Red and Blue 36 strokes behind fifth-place Harvard. "We were very excited to break 400 both days," Penn junior Jen Schraut said. "The most exciting [part] was Stacy [Kress] getting All-Ivy and fifth place. It was awesome." "We were happy with the improvement from the last tournament [at William and Mary]," Kress said. "We played to have fun, and we did." This year's performance was a drastic improvement over last year's 902 in the tournament. Penn's score, however, did not count toward the official standings last year. Yale won the team title for the third time in four years with a score of 640 (315-325). Princeton finished 10 strokes behind the Elis with a 650 (328-322). Schraut finished 23rd overall with a score of 190 (95-95), while Rachel Slosburg shot a 202 (104-98) for 26th place. Senior captain Natasha Miller finished 29th with a score of 231 (115-116). In Saturday's rain-soaked first round, the Quakers shot a 106-over-par 394. Kress fired the low round of eight-over-par 80 to finish tied for sixth. Schraut posted a 95, and Slosburg shot a 104. "Given the conditions, we played OK," Schraut said. "The greens were pretty slow, though." One of the Quakers' goals this season was to have fun and constantly improve, rather than focus on individual scores and results. The Quakers set expectations at shooting below 400 on a consistent basis. Penn broke 400 back-to-back days at the Rutgers Invitational in October, but followed that up with an unsatisfactory performance at William and Mary this spring. The Quakers will look to carry the momentum from a successful first season into next fall. "I think we're happy with how we've done this year," Schraut said. "Hopefully we can come together next fall and keep improving and having fun." "I think having more experience in tournament golf will help out," Kress added. The six competing schools were playing for a new trophy this year, as the Arthur A. Brennan Family Trophy was dedicated at a banquet on Friday night. The Brennan family recently donated the trophy in honor of both the Penn women's team gaining varsity status and the family's long-time association with Penn and its athletic department. Columbia and Cornell are the only Ivy schools without women's golf programs.

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