March 27, 2002

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Despite rain delays and bad weather, Samford's Tara Clayton shot a final-round 83 to lead all Samford players in the final round of the Lady Blazer invitational at Inverness Country Club.

Northern Iowa won the event posting a final-round 305 for a 612 total. UAB was second with nine-strokes back at 614. Arkansas State captured sole possession of third with 624, while Jacksonville State was one shot back of the Indians at 625. Troy State rounded out the top-five with 639 followed by South Alabama (641), Cincinnati (642), Austin Peay (647), Tennessee Tech (655), Samford (656), Birmingham-Southern (661), Evansville (671), Lipscomb (685), and Montevallo (736).

Samford's Becky Hammel also shot 83 on Tuesday combined with an 82 on Monday, she finished two shots behind Clayton at 165. Sara Gossum and Tricia Harlow finished with matching 166 scores and the Bulldog leader after the first round, Kelly Villarreal, struggled with the poor weather conditions finishing at 167.

The Bulldogs will next take to the links on Monday and Tuesday, April 8-9 in Waynesville, N.C. at the Lady Catamount Invitational hosted be Western Carolina. That will be the final tune-up for the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships which will be held April 15-17 in Orlando, Fla.