Falcons Place Fifth At Illinois State As Arnold Wins Medalist Honors

Sunday, September 11

Normal, Ill.

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Bowling Green State University

Redbird Invitational

Falcons Place Fifth At Illinois State As Arnold Wins Medalist Honors

September 11, 2011 | Women's Golf

Arnold is fourth different medalist during Head Coach Stephanie Young's tenure

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communications Intern

FINAL RESULTS (.pdf)

NORMAL, Ill. -- Bailey Arnold played one of the best tournaments in team history as the Bowling Green State University women's golf team posted a fifth-place finish, their best team result in nearly two years, at the 2011 Redbird Invitational.

Arnold carded a 222 during the weekend's 54 holes after shooting rounds of 76, 74 and 72. The total ranks third in team history for 54 holes, just one behind former record-holder Jenny Schnipke. However, Arnold's 54-hole score was not enough to win medalist honors. She finished the third round tied with Toledo's Piyathida Chaiyapan. Arnold defeated her Rocket rival in a playoff to claim her first victory as a Falcon.

Arnold's tournament win is the fifth by a Falcon since head coach Stephanie Young took over in the spring of 2006. She is the fourth different golfer to claim a championship during that time.

Freshman Shelby Wilson began her Falcon career in style by placing second on the team and 11th overall with a tournament total of 229. Wilson began the weekend with a opening 72 and followed that with rounds of 77 and 80.

Junior captain Amy Ruthenberg tied for 26th overall in a field of 98 by carding 238 this weekend. Ruthenberg arrived there with two rounds in the 70s (79, 76) on Saturday (Sept. 10) and a final round of 83 on Sunday (Sept. 11).

Paula DiFrancesco and Patricia Holt completed the Falcons team of five. DiFrancesco shot 245 over the tournament's 54 holes, while Holt finished with 255.

The Falcons team score reflected the success of the individuals. The team finished fifth for the first time since the Falcon Invitational in April of 2010. After rounds of 307 and 310 on Saturday, Bowling Green golfers secured a final round tally of 315 for a composite 932.

The Orange and Brown were one of four Mid-American Conference teams in the tournament, and the team competed very well with the others. The MAC schools finished third through sixth, with Bowling Green placing third among those four. BGSU finished 12 shots ahead of Ohio and trailed Ball State and Toledo by only four and three shots, respectively.

Bowling Green now returns home for a week before they travel to Waynesville, N.C. for the 2011 Great Smokies Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 19 and 20. The Falcons will be making their third consecutive appearance at that tournament.