HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. - The Wittenberg Tigers got quite an introduction to the NCAA Division III Tournament, battling through extreme heat and a pair of weather delays to post the third-best completed round on opening day at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort.

Standing fourth in the latest Golfstat statistical rankings, Wittenberg's heads into the second round in fourth place as well. Redlands is the leader in the clubhouse with a team total of 314, while Washington University is 28-over-par with two players still to post their final scores from the round. Williams is third at 319, followed by Wittenberg at 323 and defending national champion Rhodes at 325.

"I feel that the ladies are in good position after Day 1, even though they may not have met their expectations," said Head Coach Jeff Roope. "It's a challenging golf course, and with the heat and the weather delays, they performed well."

Competing on the El Campeon Course, which was par 72 while playing 5,844 yards, Wittenberg was led by sophomore Macy Hubbard (Mason, Ohio/Mason), who maintained the momentum she gained by winning the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship Series by 13 strokes 10 days earlier. Hubbard opened with a one-over-par 37 on the back nine en route to an overall score of 78 to stand eighth in the 110-player field.

Junior Maggie Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) was next for the Tigers with a score of 80, good for 17th, followed by senior Nicole Waers (Canton, Ohio/Perry) with an 81 to finish 24th. Rounding things out were freshman Jane Hopkinson-Wood (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School) in 41st with an 84 and junior Allie Lawwill (Springboro, Ohio/Middletown) in 91st with a 95.

After taking the course amongst the final competitors on Day 1, Wittenberg will be among the earliest teams to tee it up in the second round.

Written By: Ryan Maurer