W. Golf smashing own records

The Penn women's golf team is shattering its own school records about as often as golf deity Tiger Woods' net worth is increasing. That is to say, every tournament. The Quakers continued their record-breaking tear this weekend in hostile territory at the Princeton Invitational, placing fifth out of 15 squads. The Red and Blue's first ever top-five finish was the result of another record-breaking performance of 689 in the two-day tournament. "I was extremely happy with the whole weekend and wasn't surprised that we played this well," Penn coach Francis Vaughn said. "The girls have been working diligently and are reaping rewards of success." A telling indicator of the Quakers' continuing success was their grouping with a quality program from Bucknell on the second day of play. "Originally, we were paired based on last year's scores," Penn captain Jen Schraut said. "On the second day, we were paired with much better players, which was fun and exciting. "Bucknell noticed how much we improved the first day, and we beat them on the second day." Sophomore sensation Stacy Kress again forged the path to success for the Quakers. Kress scored a team-best 159, shooting an 81 on Saturday and a 78 on Sunday. Vaughn points to the Quakers' concentration as a source of the team's recent string of accomplishments. "Our success is a matter of continually focusing on what we practice," Vaughn said. "It is a result of working on the fundamentals and playing smart golf. The girls are also extremely talented." Freshman Jessica Penzell attributes the Red and Blue's success to experience and unity. "The team's success is due to us becoming comfortable with college golf and the team," Penzell said. "In the summer we worked individually, whereas now we work together to unify and to perfect our scores." Penn freshman Laura Dolan has another take on the reason behind the Quakers' record-breaking season. "In the beginning of the year, we weren't very confident," Dolan said. "As we play better, we build confidence and continue to improve." Most likely, the Red and Blue's excellent play can be attributed to focus, talent, experience and confidence. Regardless, the Quakers realize they must not allow complacency to affect their swing. "We have to continue working on our game," Schraut said. "We can't slack off now that we're playing well." The Quakers tee off at the Rutgers Invitational this Friday and Saturday. Another strong performance this weekend will not earn the Red and Blue the astronomical endorsements that Woods has merited of late. But, they may just tear another page out of the Penn record books.

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