Maryland Ends Season With Strong Outing In Its First-Ever ACC Championship Tournament
4/17/2000 8:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 17, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Sophomore Brooke Bendler (Salisbury, Md.) shot a career-best 80 in the final round of the ACC women's golf championship to earn Maryland's top individual finish in its first-ever ACC championship tournament at the Salem Glen Country Club in Clemmons, N.C. Bendler finished in a tie for 19th-place - the top finish of her collegiate career. Duke, led by freshman Maria-Garcia Estrada, claimed its fifth consecutive conference crown as it led the tournament wire-to-wire.
Terps Prosper During First Varsity Season
Maryland finished in a team-best fifth place at the James Madison University Lady Duke Invitational, finished in the top 10 of three tournaments and performed well in placing fifth at its first ever ACC Tournament during its first spring season as a varsity program at the University of Maryland. Freshman Erin Clasper (N. Potomac, Md.) finished as the Terps' top golfer with an average of 81.91 strokes per round to lead all five golfers in the lineup to averages within the 80's and was the first women's golfer in school history to shoot par (72 at the Snowbird Invitational) in a round. Head coach Jason Rodenhaver, in his first season, utilized the same lineup (Bendler, Clasper, Carter Crowther, Jennifer Gibson and Sarah Bedford) in all five of the Terps' spring tournaments.
Clasper Finishes As Top Golfer
Freshman Erin Clasper, who was the Terps' finisher in three different tournament's during the spring, led the Terps with an 81.91 stroke average in 11 rounds. She recorded the team low score with a 72 in the second round of the Northern Illinois Snowbird Intercollegiate (March 16-17) and was the only player to shot a score of par. Clasper was the most consistent of the Terps players throughout the season. She shot only two rounds above 85 during the entire season and tied for the team lead with two rounds in the 70's. She also recorded the Terps' top individual finish as she placed tied for sixth in the Snowbird Intercollegiate.
Terps Find Different Leaders In Final Weeks
Sophomore Brooke Bendler became the third different player to capture individual honors in a tournament for the Terps this season. She was the leading Terp at the ACC Championship with a personal-best finish of tied for 19th. Bendler's previous top finish was tied for 28th at the James Madison University Lady Duke Invitational. Freshman Erin Clasper led the Terps with individual honors at the Carolina's Collegiate Classic (tied for 31st), Northern Illinois Snowbird Intercollegiate (tied for sixth) and the Campbell University Fighting Camel Classic (tied for 20th). Junior Sarah Bedford (Montgomery Village, Md.) led the Terps at the JMU Invitational (tied for seventh).
Bendler Saves Best For Last
Sophomore Brooke Bendler saved her best outing of the season for the final tournament of the season. She led the Terps at the ACC Championship with three scores in the 80's and a tied for 19th-place finish. Bendler shot a career-best 80 in the third round of the ACC Championship. It marked the 11th consecutive round that she had shot in the 80's this spring.
Clasper Among Top Three All Season
Freshman Carter Crowther (Kilmarnock, Va.), who ranked second on the team with an 83.36 stroke average, joined Erin Clasper as the only two Terps to finish among the team's top three individual finishers in all five tournaments during the spring season. Crowther finished as the No. 2 Terp in the Carolina's Collegiate Classic, the JMU Lady Duke Invitational and the ACC Championship. She shot her season low score of 80 three different times.
Bedford Enjoys Best Career Outing At JMU Invite
Junior Sarah Bedford finished in a career-best tie for seventh place with a career-low two-day score of 163 at the JMU Invitational. She shot her career-best round of 80 (+8) in the first round of the tournament and finished with an 83 on day two. Bedford's round of 80 was her best by five strokes and her +19 finish was her best by 12 strokes in four tournaments this spring.
