Women's Golf Looks to Repeat at SEC Championships
4/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 14, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
AUBURN, Ala. - The University of Alabama women's golf team aims to defend its SEC Championship this weekend at the AU Club at Yarbrough Farms' par-72, 7,326-yard course. The Crimson Tide begins play in the three-day, 54-hole event on Friday morning at 9:20 a.m.
The Tide won its first SEC Championship last year when it hosted the event at North River Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa and prevailed with a 4-stroke victory. UA has finished runner-up at the SEC Championships three times before winning last year.
Alabama enters the tournament following a win two weeks ago at the Liz Murphey Classic. The No. 3-ranked Crimson Tide also has first-place finishes this season at the NCAA Fall Preview, the Tar Heel Invitational and the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.
Ten of the nation's top-50 teams in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings will stand in the way of the Tide repeating as champions. The SEC field's stiff competition includes No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 13 Arkansas, No. 14 Georgia, No. 18 Auburn, No. 19 Vanderbilt, No. 21 Florida, No. 37 South Carolina and No. 41 Mississippi. Kentucky is No. 55 and Mississippi State ranks No. 103.
True freshmen Stephanie Meadow and Hannah Collier will be participating in their first SEC Championships. Meadow, a native from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland, has won medalist honors at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic and the Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate and is ranked No. 8 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Index.
Junior Brooke Pancake leads the team with a 70.75 scoring average and ranks No. 6 nationally. Her best finish this season was a first place performance at the Tar Heel Invitational where she finished with an 11-under-par, 205. Pancake led the Crimson Tide at last year's SEC Championship where she finished in a tie for fifth.
Also in the lineup for the Tide will be senior Camllia Lennarth and junior Jennifer Kirby. Lennarth is ranked 15th nationally and finished in a tie for 16th overall at 2-over-par 215 in last year's SEC Championship. Her best finish this season was third place at the Tar Heel Invitational where she shot 10-under-par 206. Kirby ranks 33rd nationally and tied for 10th at even-par 213 in last year's SEC Championship.
UA's golfers will tee off from No. 1 and be paired with competitors from LSU and Georgia on the first day of competition. Live scoring will be available at www.golfstat.com.
Players Mentioned
