University of North Carolina Athletics
Women's Golf Team Hosts 15 Teams in Franklin Street Trust Tar Heel Invitational
October 2, 2002 | Women's Golf
Oct. 2, 2002
Chapel Hill, N.C. - North Carolina's women's golf team will play host to 15 teams in this year's Franklin Street Trust Tar Heel Invitational which will take place October 4-6 at Finley Golf Course, a par 72, 6,181-yard layout. The 54-hole event will follow a format of 18 holes played each day. Tee times will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. The public is invited to attend and there is no admission fee.
This year's tournament will feature three top-10 teams and eight top 25 teams in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Collegiate Rankings. Oklahoma State is the nation's top-ranked team while Duke is ranked fifth, Ohio State is ranked eighth, Florida State is 15th, South Florida is 18th, North Carolina is 23rd, Tulane is 24th and NC State is 25th.
Individually, there are four players ranked in the top 15 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Individual Collegiate Rankings. Karin Sjodin of Oklahoma State is ranked third while teammate Annie Thurman is ranked seventh, Brandi Jackson of Furman is eighth and Ashley Prange of North Carolina is 15th.
"We're excited to be hosting the Franklin Street Trust Tar Heel Invitational," said North Carolina Head Coach Sally Austin. "We have an outstanding field which includes Oklahoma State, the top-ranked team in the country. I feel this is one of the nation's premier tournaments in the fall and we are playing on one of the best collegiate courses in the country, Finley Golf Course."
In addition to Carolina, the other participating teams include Duke, Florida State, Furman, Kentucky, Memphis, NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, South Florida, Tulane, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington and Wake Forest. Duke won last year's Tar Heel, which was also played at Finley, posting an 894 total while North Carolina was the runner-up with a 911 total. Duke's Kristina Engstrom captured the individual title with a three-over-par 219 total. Nicki Cutler of Tennessee was the runner-up with a 222 total.
Carolina opened its fall campaign last weekend with a seventh-place finish at the ACC/SEC Challenge in Destin, Fla., firing a 909 total. Junior Ashley Prange tied for fourth place individually firing a five-over-par 218 total while junior Meaghan Francella tied for 12th with a 223, seniors Meghan Adams and Abby Spector tied for 43rd with 234 totals and junior Stacy Hilton tied for 60th at 249.
"Ashley Prange and Meaghan Francella are coming off a great tournament and are playing well," said Austin. "I am expecting great things from the rest of team as well. The team is looking forward to playing on its home course."
Franklin Street Trust Tar Heel Invitational Champions
Year Holes Team Champion (Score) Individual Medalist (Score) 1976 18 North Carolina (354) Mindy Moore, North Carolina (82) 1977 36 Furman (620) Beth Daniel, Furman (145) 1978 36 Ohio State (630) Judy Ellis, Ohio State (150) 1979 54 North Carolina (961) Nancy Rubin, Florida International (225) 1980 54 Georgia (912) Mitzi Edge, Georgia (222) 1981 54 Georgia (874) Cindy Pleger, Georgia (212) 1982 54 Ohio State (930) Susan Ladd, Alabama (222) 1983 36 Kentucky (612) Mary Ann Widman, Duke (146) 1984 54 Georgia (894) Michelle Berteotti, Miami, Fla. (218) 1985 54 North Carolina (903) Michelle Michanowicz, Miami, Fla. (220) 1986 54 Miami, Fla. (899) Sarah LeBrun, Duke (219) 1987 54 Texas (895) Kate Golden, Texas (219) 1988 54 Duke (902) Christine Casingal, Duke (215) 1989 54 Kentucky (919) Laura D'Alessandro, Wake Forest (224) 1990 54 Texas (901) Piper Wagner, Texas (217) 1991 54 North Carolina (895) Renee Heiken, Illinois (214) 1992 54 North Carolina (897) Kimberly Byham, North Carolina (217) 1993 54 Wake Forest (915) Stephanie Neill, Wake Forest (220) 1994 54 Wake Forest (889) Kelly Cap, Methodist College (219) 1995 54 Wake Forest (877) Marci Clemons, Auburn (215) 1996 54 Tennessee (908) Kelly McCall, North Carolina (211) 1997 54 Duke (884) Jenny Chuasiriporn, Duke (211) 1998 54 Duke (854) Candy Hannemann, Duke (212) 1999 54 Duke (891) Danielle Downey, Auburn (218) 2000 54 Duke (894) Candy Hannemann & Leight Anne Hardin, Duke (220) 2001 54 Duke (894) Kristina Engstrom, Duke (219)
![Images from the first round of the 2026 Gators Invitational on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. [Photo by Matt Pendleton Photography for North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Func.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F3%2F7%2F260306-NCAAWGOLF-UNC-GatorsInvitational-0828-MattPendleton_copy.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
