Kiser shoots par, leads women's golf to second place finish at Dartmouth

After a strong first day that saw a Princeton freshman climb to the top of the leaderboard, the women's golf team faltered on its way in, finishing three strokes behind Yale in the team competition.

Sophomore Avery Kiser posted the low score for the Tigers with an even-par two-day total of 148.

Day one was marked by the emergence of another potential star in the making. Freshman upstart Emma Stachowicz posted a 1-under par 73 to grab the lead at the midway point. A closing 82 left her in ninth place overall.

Sophomore standout Meg Nakamura put up solid numbers as well, shooting rounds of 74 and 76 on her way to a fourth-place individual finish.

For Nakamura, the weekend was about what could have been. She started her first round eagle, birdie, birdie, leaving her 4-under par after just three holes. Unfortunately for the Chicago-area star, several bogeys down the stretch cost her a chance at the individual title.

"Even though I wasn't hitting the ball well, the course played to my strengths," Nakamura said. "I was able to shoot two solid rounds, though I certainly had the potential to go lower."

Senior Megan Milam rounded out the top ten with two rounds of 78. Milam is one of just two seniors on the team.

The team loss, however, was especially tough for the Tigers after losing last year's Ivy League title to the same Yale squad.

"Last year was a real disappointment for us at Ivies," sophomore Taryn Haladay said. "It just happened that everyone played poorly on the same day. We felt then, and we still feel now, that when we play our best we can beat anyone in our league."

The faces on the Yale team, however are not the same ones the Tigers faced last year. The Elis lost their number one player to graduation, but a strong recruiting class has brought the Bulldogs three capable freshmen.

On the other side of the ball, the Tigers were only able to add one impact player in recruiting, though the team did not lose any key players to graduation. Returning are senior captain Vanessa Redman and classmate Milam, junior Esty Dwek, and sophomores Haladay, Nakamura and Kiser. Stachowicz already seems to fit well in the mix.

"We all get along well on the team," Haladay said. "And I'm sure Emma will fit right in with that mood. Everyone is supportive of each other's games. I think our cohesion helps us all relax and play our best."

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It seems that the Tigers are going to have to play their best if they are going to conquer Yale in what is fast turning into a two-team race in the Ivy League.

While Yale edged Princeton by three shots, 606-609, the next closest Ivy competitors were Brown and Dartmouth, both 32 strokes back. Harvard placed sixth in the competition with a team total of 645.

Still, despite the second straight setback at the hands of the Elis, the team remains confident and optimistic that brighter days are ahead for the Princeton women's golf program.

"We've seen them play a lot now, and we know how good they are," Haladay said. "But we still think we're better. The key for us is going to be playing the way we know we can — not just talking about it."

The Tigers next get a chance to prove their meddle when the team hosts the Princeton Invitational the last weekend in September. The following weekend the squad travels to State College to participate in the Penn State Invitational.

The team will then vie for the ECAC Championship October 12 and 13. The fall schedule officially ends with the Golden Panther Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico the first weekend in November.