SAN JOSE -- The 42nd-ranked BYU women's golf team opened their spring season in style, taking the fifth-place (322) position after the first round of the 2005 Bay Area Classic at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge
After 18 holes, the Cougar women trail first-place Fresno State (310) by 12 stokes, second-place Hawaii and San Francisco by four strokes (318) and fourth-place San Jose State (320) by two strokes.
BYU sophomore Rachel Newren, who shot a first-place 2-over-par 74 in her opening round of the tournament, leads the field along with Ole Miss' Katie Davidson, who also shot a 74 on the day.
Despite a long winter away from competition and tough Bay Area conditions including rain, wind and cold, BYU faired well against the competition, said head coach Sue Nyhus.
The Cougars had some difficulties on the greens, said assistant coach Dave DeSantis, but he was happy with how the team performed in their opening round of the spring season.
"We were hitting the ball really well and that's a good sign," DeSantis said. "When you're hitting the ball well, there's a little more hope on the green. If we can putt well tomorrow, we'll probably make a big jump."
Other Cougar standouts include Alexis Edwards, who shot a first-round 81, Danielle Von Arnim with an 83 and Natalie Newren and Juli Wightman, each with an 85. Ashley Childers, who is playing as an individual at this year's tournament, shot an opening-round 83.
The Cougars are one of 14 universities competing in this year's tournament. Other schools include UC Irvine (No. 36), USF (No. 45), San Jose State (No. 48), Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Fresno State, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Mississippi, Notre Dame de Namur, Portland State, San Diego State and Santa Clara.
The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge -- Par 72 -- 6,095 yards
TEAM RESULTS
1. Fresno State 310
T2. Hawaii 318
T2. San Francisco 318
4. San Jose State 320
5. BYU 322
6. Mississippi 323
7. Cal Poly 326
8. San Diego State 328
9. Portland State 330
10. UC-Irvine 331
11. Long Beach State 336
12. Santa Clara 345
13. Notre Dame de Namur 426
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T1. Rachel Newren BYU 74
T1. Katie Davidson Ole Miss 74
T3. Johanna Lundberg San Jose St. 75
T3. Kristin Nichols USF 75
T5. Dale Gammie Hawaii 76
T5. Meggie Fagundes Fresno St. 76
T5. Yumi Chung Fresno St. 76
8. Joan M. Shimozaki USF 77
T9. Sara Odelius Hawaii 78
T9. Laura Luethke Fresno St. 78
T23. Alexis Edwards BYU 81
T26. Danielle Von Arnim BYU 82
T30. Ashley Childers* BYU 83
T40. Juli Wightman BYU 85
T40. Natalie Newren BYU 85
- After 18 holes
* Playing as an individual