BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A year ago, the IUPUI women's golf team found itself sitting in the catbird seat after the first round of the IU Fall Kickoff before the Hoosiers rallied on day two to take the title. This season, the Jaguars will try to duplicate IU's feat from a year ago and rally to claim the tournament title after a first round 306 (+18) has them trailing only a pair of Indiana teams after 18 holes.

Host IU shot 298 (+10) and the Hoosiers' 'B' Team shot 304 to take the top two spots. Indiana State is fourth at 315 after the first 18 holes. Play will resume with an 8:30 shotgun start on Sunday (Sept. 9).

Senior Jordan Woods is second among the 69 player field after shooting 73 (+1) in her first round of the season. IU's Elizabeth Tong leads the way after shooting an even-par 72.

"It felt good to start hitting some fairways right off the bat," Woods said. "Everything was playing real, real soft so you could play really aggressive today and shoot right at the pins. I just felt really good today."

The soft conditions made chipping a little more problematic for much of the field, but Woods was able to chip in for birdies on No. 2 and 16.

While Woods led the Jaguars charge, it was a balanced effort that has IUPUI in the hunt after round one. Sophomore Yuri Otsuka and senior Lauren Kuss both shot 3-over 75's and senior Jordan Essman carded an 83 (+11) to account for the Jags' score.

All four were in the Jaguars' lineup for the entirety of the spring semester a year ago, with redshirt freshman Maria Krempp being IUPUI's lone addition since then. Krempp turned in an 89 (+17) in her first collegiate round on Saturday.

Three sophomores turned in rounds of 83 while playing as individuals on Saturday, with Carolyn Kupchik, Lauren Mains and Kelli Witt all coming in at 11-over. For Mains and Witt, it was their career-low rounds.  

Sophomore Olivia Kuss rounded out IUPUI's four individual entries with an 87.

For the Jaguars to complete the comeback on Sunday, Woods knows it'll likely take four scores in the seventies.

"When we win tournaments, we usually don't lead on the first day. We've got to get four scores where we want them though. It'd be a huge confidence boost for us to break 300 in the first tournament of the year, tomorrow."

Team Standings
1. Indiana - 298 (+10)
2. Indiana 'B' - 304 (+16)
3. IUPUI - 306 (+18)
4. Indiana State - 315 (+27)
5. Southern Indiana - 321 (+33)
6. DePauw - 324 (+36)
7. IPFW - 339 (+51)
8. Valparaiso - 340 (+52)
9. Franklin College - 350 (+62)
10. Southern Indiana 'B' - 381 (+93)

Individual Standings
2. Jordan Woods - 73 (+1)
t-4. Yuri Otsuka - 75 (+3)
t-4. Lauren Kuss - 75 (+3)
t-30. Jordan Essman - 83 (+11)
t-51. Maria Krempp - 89 (+17)
*t-30. Lauren Mains - 83 (+11)
*t-30. Kelli Witt - 83 (+11)
*t-30. Carolyn Kupchik - 83 (+11)
*t-42. Olivia Kuss - 87 (+15)
     *playing as an individual