March 15, 2013

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (seminoles.com) - Florida State University senior Jessica Negron shot an even par 70 and is in a tie for seventh place in the individual standings and the Seminole women's golf team is in seventh place in the team standings after the first of three rounds of the Lady Gator Invitational at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida. Negron is just two strokes behind the individual leader while the Seminoles are only nine strokes behind Oklahoma in the race for the team championship.

Oklahoma, the No. 4 ranked team in the latest national poll by GolfStat, leads the team standings with a 3 under par team total of 285. The Sooners lead No. 3 ranked Alabama by one stroke and are four strokes ahead of No. 5 Florida. The Seminoles are finished with a 6 over par score of 294 and are only one stroke out of fifth place. Stephanie Meadlow of Alabama and Portland Rosen of Virginia share the individual lead with identical scores of 2 under par 68.

Negron (Ocala, Fla,) was very consistent throughout the first round with one birdie, one bogey and 16 holes at par. She was even par on her first four holes, bogeyed her fifth hole and moved back to par with a birdie on the par three hole No. 8. It marked the second time in the last three rounds that Negron has carded a 70 and the third time in the last four rounds that she has carded a score of even par or better.

"I hit the ball really well today and hit a lot of greens," said Negron. "When I can do that I can be successful and I was today. I am really looking forward to playing the next two rounds."

A pair of Seminoles - Hannah Thomson in 2011 and Maria Salinas in 2012 - have won the individual championship at the Lady Gator in the last two seasons.

Senior Malin Jansson (Nykvarn, Sweden) played her best round of the spring season as she carded a 1 over par score of 71. It marked her first round below scored below a 74 in two events this spring. Jansson came within two shots of tying her career best score for a single round - a 69 which came in the first round of the Great Smokies Intercollegiate during the fall of 2009.

Jansson will begin the second round in a tie for 10th place in the individual standings and is only three strokes out of the individual lead.

The Seminoles are in second place among the four ACC teams in the event - four strokes behind Miami (fourth place) and ahead of both No. 15 Virginia (9th, 297) and No. 6 North Carolina (10th, 301). The Seminoles are also ahead of No. 18 Baylor (8th, 296). The event has seven teams that are ranked in the nation's top 25 playing in the field.

"We ran the gamut of emotions today," said head coach Amy Bond. "We have to be more consistent and we have to finish better, but, we did some really good things today. One of the things we need to do is get into a better rhythm; I think we can do that tomorrow as we begin on hole No. 1 after starting on No. 10 today. The finishing holes on the back are much easier for our style and that should benefit us in the second round."

The Seminoles, who have won this event twice it history, are paired with Baylor and Virginia in the second round of the tournament.

Lady Gator Invitational/March 15-17, 2013/Par 70
Mark Bostick Golf Course/University of Florida/First Round FSU Results
7/15.   Florida State       294
T7.     Jessica Negron      70
T10.    Malin Jansson       71
T39.    Olivia Hullert      76
T48.    Laure Castelain     77
T62.    Mary Beth Ramsay    79
Lady Gator Invitational/March 15-17, 2013/Par 70
Mark Bostick Golf Course/University of Florida/First Round Team Results
1.    Oklahoma           285   9.    Virginia               297
2.    Alabama            286   10.   North Carolina         301
3.    Florida            289   11.   Chattanooga            302
4.    Miami              290   12.   Florida International  303
T5.   Oklahoma State     293   13.   Kent State             305
T5.   Mississippi State  293   14.   South Florida          309
7.    Florida State      294   15.   San Diego State        312
8.    Baylor             296
 

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