Women’s golf: Kastamo’s 76 leads Olivet to tie for first at MIAA NCAA Qualifier

Comets maintain two-stroke lead in overall standings

SAUGATUCK, Mich. – Led by junior Brooke Kastamo's career-best, 18-hole score (76), the Olivet College women's golf team tied for first in the second round of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) NCAA Automatic Qualifying Tournament today at The Ravines Golf Course in Saugatuck.

The Comets shot a 329 team score to tie Hope College. Saint Mary's (Ind.) College was third at 348, followed by Trine (Ind.) University in fourth at 355. With the performance, Olivet maintains its two-stroke lead on Hope, 652-654, in the overall spring standings entering tomorrow's final round at The Ravines. The school with the lowest total will receive the MIAA's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division III National Championships May 12-15 at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.

Kastamo had a 37 on the front nine and a 39 on the back nine for a 76, which earned her medalist honors. Sophomore Allyson Schultz completed her round in 82 strokes to share fourth-place in the player standings. Sophomore Laura Bacso was one stroke behind with an 83 to tie for sixth-place in the player standings. Junior Casey Lamp was next with an 88, and junior Kirstin Langer rounded out the Comets' lineup with a 99.

Tomorrow's third and final round is scheduled to get under way at 2 p.m.

NOTE: Kastamo's previously best round was a 77 in both the second round of the Jekyll Island Collegiate Classic and the first round of the 2014 O.C. Labor Day Tee-Off Tournament.