Aug. 9, 2004

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Incoming Terrapin freshman Katie Trotter worked her way through the match-play bracket recently to win the Western Pennsylvania Open women's golf tournament at the South Hills Country Club. Trotter, who committed to Maryland in the spring, defeated longtime favorite Carol Semple Thompson, 2-and-1, in the semifinals, then earned a similar 2-and-1 win in the championship over Samantha Maust. Semple Thompson, 55, was a two-time defending champion and winner of 11 Western Pennsylvania Opens. "I've been working on my game this summer," Trotter told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I've changed my swing and I'm hitting it longer and straighter. I expected to do well, but I didn't expect to do this well. I had a really good week." Trotter scored comfortable wins of 4-and-3 and 5-and-3 in her first two rounds in match play. She will join the Terrapin women's golf team when it opens its fall season in September. The full story is available at http://www.postgazette.com/pg/04213/354648.stm