April 16, 2004

CLEMMONS, N.C. - The Virginia women's golf team shot a 307 (+23) in the opening round of the 2004 ACC Championship on Friday. In their first conference tournament, the Cavaliers stand seventh among a field including several of the nation's top-ranked teams.

Defending national champion and No. 1 ranked Duke leads the field of seven with a five-under 279. Four Blue Devil players stand in the top six after shooting an even 71 or better. No. 20 North Carolina is second with a 285 (+1), while No. 14 Wake Forest stands third with a 290 (+6). Virginia follows Maryland (306, +22) by one stroke and is within four strokes of fifth place.

Carolina's Meaghan Francella paces the field of 35 players with a five-under 66. Duke's Brittany Lang follows with a four-under 67, while UNC's Ashley Prange is third with a two-under 69.

Freshman Leah Wigger (Louisville, Ky.) leads the Cavaliers with a tie for sixth place after firing an even 71, tying her season low. Freshman Rachel Smith (Powell, Tenn.) shot a 75 (+4) to stand 19th, while freshman Lindsay Robinson (Huntington, W.V.) shot a 78 (+7) to tie for 27th. Freshman Kira Mayo (Aventura, Fla.) finished with a 83 (+12), while freshman Sally Shonk (Nobelsville, Ind.) shot a 85 (+14).

Th second round of the ACC Championship tees off at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 17 at the Salem Glen Golf & Country Club in Clemmons, N.C.

1.	Duke			279 (-5)
2.	North Carolina		285 (+1)
3.	Wake Forest		290 (+6)
4.	Florida State		293 (+9)
5.	NC State		303 (+19)
6.	Maryland		306 (+22)
7.	VIRGINIA		307 (+23)

TOP INDIVIDUALS
1.	Meaghan Francella, NC		66 (-5)
2.	Brittany Lang, DU		67 (-4)
3.	Ashley Prange, NC		69 (-2)
4.	Ashley Hoagland, WF		70 (-1)
	Virada Nirapathpongporn, DU	70 (-1)
6.	Anna Grzebien, DU		71 (E)
	Christine Hallstrom, WF		71 (E)
	Leigh Anne Hardin, DU		71 (E)
	Leah Wigger, UVa		71 (E)

VIRGINIA  PLAYERS
t6.	Leah Wigger			71 (E)
19.	Rachel Smith			75 (+4)
t27.	Lindsay Robinson		78 (+7)
33.	Kira Mayo			83 (+12)
34.	Sally Shonk			85 (+14)