The Michigan State ladies’s golf workforce ended the primary day of this 12 months’s Large Ten Championship the identical approach it completed final 12 months’s occasion: on the prime of the leaderboard.
The Spartans mixed to shoot a 2-under-par 282 Friday throughout the first spherical of this 12 months’s match at Fox Chapel Golf Membership in Pittsburgh. Michigan State holds a three-shot lead on its nearest rivals: in-state rival Michigan together with Purdue, which each ended at 1-over-par 285.
Leila Raines led the best way for the No. 34 Spartans within the opening spherical. She carded a 3-under-par 68, giving her a share of the first-round lead alongside Nebraska’s Michaela Vavrova.
A sophomore, Raines had 4 birdies on her entrance 9.
Three different MSU golfers additionally completed the day among the many prime 20 on the person leaderboard: sophomore Valentina Rossi and freshman Katie Lu are at even-par after capturing 71s, whereas senior Valery Plata is tied for sixteenth after a 1-over-par 72. Different Spartans competing embrace senior Haylin Harris and freshman Brooke Biermann, who each shot 73 (2-over par).
The Spartans wish to win back-to-back Large Ten titles for the third time underneath coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll. MSU additionally gained consecutive convention crowns in 2011-12 and 2017-18. Michigan State’s 9 Large Ten Championship victories are second-most in league historical past, trailing solely Ohio State, which has 15.
Eight of the Spartans’ 9 titles have come underneath Slobodnik-Stoll. Her championship tally additionally ranks second within the convention report books; Ohio State’s Therese Hession, who retired in January, ended her profession with 11.
Michigan State will tee off in a bunch with Michigan and Purdue in Saturday’s second spherical.
Contact Ryan Black at rblack@lsj.com. Observe him on Twitter @RyanABlack.