Detroit Lakes, Minn.––Laura Knutson (Fy./Edina, Minn.) fired a nine-over par 82, finishing in a tie for third, to help lead the Carleton College women’s golf team to a third-place finish at the Cobber Open.
Knutson posted her best collegiate round in finishing only one shot out of first place, as the Knights finished at 344. They trailed the University of Manitoba by only four shots and Division II power University of North Dakota by three. Carleton finished ahead of the University of South Dakota at 345 and well clear of MIAC rivals College of St. Benedict (358) and host Concordia College, Moorhead (378). Both North Dakota and South Dakota are in the process of transitioning to Division I, and UND is ranked 23rd in the preseason Golf Week/National Golf Coaches Association poll.
Katrina Wood (Jr./Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) added a tie for eighth, finishing 12-over par 84, and Sarah Ingebritsen (Sr./Seattle/Lewis & Clark) added an 88, her best score in seven career rounds at the Wildflower Golf Course, to give Carleton three scores in the 80s. Meghan Gajare (Fy./Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central) rounded out the scoring at 90 for the Knights.
“Overall, I was very pleased with our round,” Carleton head coach Eric Sieger said, as the finish marked the best for the Knights in the seven years they’ve participated in the one-day competition. “The wind blew in excess of 20 miles-per-hour and it was the first time our three newcomers had even laid eyes on the course, so for us to go out and shoot that low makes me feel like we’re doing the right things in practice.”
UND’s Kristi Lucken and USD’s Amber Luitjens edged Knutson out for medalist honors. Knutson tied wth UND’s Lauryn Ob and Bemidji State’s Jenna Schurman for third.
The Knights play the next two days at Wildflower Golf Course in the two-day, 36-hole Concordia Invitational.
Final Team Results
1) University of Manitoba – 340
2) Univ. of North Dakota – 341
3) Carleton College – 344
4) Univ. of South Dakota – 345
5) St. Ben’s – 358
6) Concordia College – 378
7) UM-Crookston – 429
Bemidji State – Inc.
UM-Morris – Inc.
Top 20 Individual Results
T1) Kristi Lucken – UND – 81
T1) Amber Luitjens – USD - 81
T3) Lauryn Job – UND – 82
T3) Laura Knutson – Carleton – 82
T3) Jenna Schurman – BSU – 82
T6) Sarah Stebeleski – UMan – 83
T6) Leigh Bartholomew – CSB – 83
T8) Faye Zachedniak – UMan – 84
T8) Molly Martin – UND – 84
T8) Katrina Wood – Carleton – 84
T8) Afton Pender – Concordia – 84
12) Andrea Peterson – USD – 85
13) Anne Thorimbert – UMan – 86
T14) Angela Klindtworth – UMan – 87
T14) Kelli Dahle – UND – 87
T14) Ann Dressen – CSB – 87
17) Sarah Ingebritsen – Carleton – 88
18) Natalie Ruppert – UND – 89
T19) Amanda Kaler – UND – 90
T19) Meghan Gajare – Carleton – 90
Carleton – 344
Laura Knutson – 82
Katrina Wood – 84
Sarah Ingebritsen - 88
Meghan Gajare – 90
Louise Buckler – 104
