Jan. 24, 2009
NAPLES, Fla. - Third-year head coach Renee Slone's young Fighting Illini squad won the first Illinois Challenge Saturday against Illinois State, 7-6. The Challenge, a match play dual meet with the Redbirds, served as a tune-up for the upcoming Spring season, which begins next month. The Challenge was played at the 6,163 yard, par 72 Hideout Golf Club and featured both four-ball and singles matches between the two teams.
The Orange and Blue jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the morning four-ball matches as three Illini duos claimed victory. Raquel Hopton and Katie Dilger teamed up to defeat Marci Hill and Terra Miller of ISU, 2 &1, Samantha Sloan and Nora Lucas topped ISU's Marisa Milligan and Laura Harris, 2 & 1, and Hailey Koschmann & Abby Cotter teamed-up to give the Illini their third point with a 2 up victory over ISU's Britt Knutson and Christine Larson.
That meant Fighting Illini would need four points in the nine afternoon singles matches to win the Challenge and that is exactly what they did, taking four points to win by a 7-6 margin. Koschmann (5 & 4) and Samantha Sloan (7 & 6) each claimed big victories and Cotter topped ISU's Britt Knutson 2 & 1 for a third singles point. The Orange and Blue also got half points from Hopton and senior Nancy Featherstone, who both finished their matches all square.
Illinois opens the spring tournament season on Feb. 23-24 at the Islander Spring Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas.
ILLINOIS CHALLENGE RESULTS
Hideout Golf Club // 6,163 // Par 72
Morning Four-Ball Matches
Stacey Miller & Tiffany Hockensmith (ISU) def. Nancy Featherstone & Maureen Liddy (ILL) - 5 & 4
Raquel Hopton & Katie Dilger (ILL) def. Marci Hill & Terra Miller (ISU) - 2 & 1
Samantha Sloan & Nora Lucas (ILL) def. Marisa Milligan & Laura Harris (ISU) - 2 & 1
Hailey Koschmann & Abby Cotter (ILL) def. Britt Knutson & Christine Larson (ISU) - 2 up
Illinois led 3 points to 1 following four-ball matches
Afternoon Singles Matches
Raquel Hopton (ILL) halved with Stacey Miller (ISU) - All Square
Marisa Milligan (ISU) def. Kaitlyn Wampler (ILL) - 4 & 2
Nancy Featherstone (ILL) halved with Laura Harris (ISU) - All Square
Tiffany Hockensmith (ISU) def. Nora Lucas (ILL) - 4 & 3
Abby Cotter (ILL) def. Britt Knutson (ISU) - 2 & 1
Marci Hill (ISU) def. Katie Dilger (ILL) - 2 up
Terra Miller (ISU) def. Maureen Liddy (ILL) - 2 up
Samantha Sloan (ILL) def. Christine Larson (ISU) - 7 & 6
Hailey Koschmann (ILL) def. Jackie Leonard (ISU) - 5 & 4
ISU takes 5 points to Illinois' 4 in singles matches
Illinois wins the Challenge 7-6
