DEFIANCE, Ohio – The 2011 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championships got underway on Saturday at the Eagle Rock Golf Club, with Defiance ending the opening 18 holes of action just five strokes outside of the top five.

DC’s day-one score of 398 placed the Jackets in sixth position, ahead of Mount St. Joseph (407) and Rose-Hulman (410) in the eight-team tournament. Transylvania led the pack with a 347, with Franklin (350), Hanover (352) and Anderson (354) rounding out a tightly grouped top four. Manchester rounded out the top five with a 393.

Franklin’s Brittany Stephens fired an 80 to edge Transylvania’s Megan Foley by one stroke for the top spot on the individual leaderboard. Anderson’s Lauren Flores (83), Hanover’s Brooke McKay (84) and Franklin’s Avery Brown (85) closed out the top-five spots in the standings.

Sarah Westfall paced Defiance with a 97 to end in a tie for 22nd, while Phoenix Golnick made her return to the lineup by carding a 98 to end in a tie for 24th. Tara Miller closed the opening round with a 101, while Kelly Beard shot a 102 and Taylor Tuttle finished with a 116.

Action is set to resume at Eagle Rock on Sunday at 9:00 am, with the HCAC Championships up for grabs.

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