Seniors Take Terps to ACC Women's Golf

April 17, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -

The University of Maryland women's golf team will face one of its toughest challlenges of the season in one of the biggest tournaments of the season this weekend when it plays in the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at the Legends Course at LPGA International.

Terps Notes

Maryland will face six opponents ranked among the top 40 teams in the nation as part of the nine-tema field. The Terrapins are seeking a third straight invitation to NCAA Regional play, having made the field in each of the last two seasons despite participating as a varsity team for only eight previous years.

Maryland has made strides in the difficult ACC over the last two seasons. The Terrapins' new program was in the last or next-to-last spot in their first seven years at the league tournament, but finished 4th in 2006 and 6th in 2007. Maryland currently ranks 77th in the Golfweek national rankings.

Two Terrapin seniors - Kelly Calkin and Katie Trotter - will be playing in their final ACC Tournament. Those two are the final holdovers from a five-player lineup that played 33 consecutive events together. Both Calkin and Trotter have played well in the ACCs, though, with Calkin posting a T8th finish last year at Carmel CC, and Trotter placing 5th as a sophomore during the 2006 ACCs at Pinehurst No. 8. Trotter's 5th-place finish and her 224 score over 54 holes are the best by a Terrapin at the ACC women's championship.

Despite having two seniors, a junior and two freshmen in the lineup this season, Maryland has displayed some balance during the 2007-08 season. With the exception of junior Carla Wasienko, who has earned a spot in the lineup just recently, four different players have led the team at a tournament at least once this year, including freshmen Kerri Connolly (three times) and Hilary Lawson (once).

Kelly Calkin leads the Terps in seven categories statistically this season, including scoring average (76.0). She has the Terps' only score in the 60s this season (final round at the Pinehurst Challenge). With three rounds this weekend, both she and Trotter will set the school record for career rounds played at 121 (Kate Stepanek played 120 in 2003-07). Calkin is second in school history in career scoring average (77.2) behind only Stepanek's 76.8.

Katie Trotter will attempt to use the ACCs as a chance to reclaim the strong play she showed at mid-season. In a three-tournament stretch during the fall, Trotter posted three top-10 finishes. She is still second on the team in scoring average this season at 77.0 and her 78.3 career scoring average is third all-time.

Freshman Kerri Connolly has played well of late, finishing either first or second on the team in three of four spring events. Connolly has averaged 77.5 in the spring semester and tied for 3rd at the Cuthbert Cup.

Hilary Lawson is another freshman who has had a strong first collegiate season for Maryland. She has three top-20 finishes, led by a 4th at the Nittany Lion Fall Invitational, and ranks 4th in scoring average (78.4).

Carla Wasienko has taken over the No.5 spot in the lineup for the Terrapins. She played well in two fall events as an individual, using an opening-round 70 to earn a tie for 4th at the Spider Fall Invitational. She played last weekend as the Terps were in the Lady Seahawk Invitational, and the 2008 ACCs will be her fifth career event as a collegian.

Players Mentioned

Kelly Calkin

Kerri Connolly

Hilary Lawson

Katie Trotter

Carla Wasienko

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