LEDBETTER, Ky. – Jacksonville State shot a team score of 310 and is just four shots out of the lead after Monday’s opening round of the 2006 O’Reilly OVC Women’s Golf Championship at the par 72, 6,178 yard Drake Creek Golf Course.

Eastern Kentucky leads the eight-team field with a total of 306, while Murray State is third at 314, followed by Eastern Illinois (326), Tennessee Tech (331), Samford (334), Austin Peay (335) and Tennessee State rounds out the field with a 355.

Jax State’s Louise Fleming shot 38-37 to tie with Tennessee State’s Jessica Nemnich to lead the field with a 3-over par 75. Fleming finished with 15 pars and three bogey’s during her round, while Nemnich had four birdies, 10 pars, two bogeys, one double bogey and one triple bogey.

Senior Shanelle Howell (37-41) and sophomore Mercedes Huarte (40-38) both shot a 78 to tie for ninth place. Freshman Portia Abbott (41-38) is tied for 14th place after carding a 79 and Alexandra Espinos tied for 25th with an 85 for the Gamecocks.

“I thought we went out and played pretty well,” said JSU head coach James Hobbs. “We hit some really good shots and got some good up and downs and good saves that helped us record pretty good scores.

“You can’t win the golf tournament in the first day, but you can certainly lose it the first day,” added Hobbs. “We’re just four shots back and we have two rounds to play. We want to come out and get off to a good start in Tuesday’s second round."

Jacksonville State, the defending OVC Champion, will tee off at 9:52 a.m. for Tuesday’s second round and is paired with Eastern Kentucky and Murray State.

The winner will earn the OVC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, which will be announced on Monday, May 1. The East Regional will be hosted by Wake Forest at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, N.C., the Central will be hosted by Texas A&M at the Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas., while the West will be hosted by the University of Washington at the Washington National Golf Club.

Ohio Valley Conference Women's Championship
Dates: 04/17-04/19, 2006
Round: 1
Par-Yardage: 72-6178

1 Eastern Kentucky 306
2 Jacksonville St. 310
3 Murray State Univ. 314
4 Eastern Illinois 326
5 Tennessee Tech U. 331
6 Samford University 334
7 Austin Peay State U. 335
8 Tennessee State U. 355

Fin. School Scores
1 Eastern Kentucky 306
T 3 Leslie Booth 37- 39 76
T 3 Kelli Warner 38- 38 76
T 6 Aubree Moore 39- 38 77
T 6 Kelly Flynn 40- 37 77
T 25 Rachel Montgomery 44- 41 85
2 Jacksonville St. 310
T 1 Louise Fleming 38- 37 75
T 9 Shanelle Howell 37- 41 78
T 9 Mercedes Huarte 40- 38 78
T 14 Portia Abbott 41- 38 79
T 25 Alexandra Espinosa 39- 46 85
3 Murray State Univ. 314
T 3 Ilka Loubser 39- 37 76
T 6 Christi Baron 36- 41 77
T 14 Julie Bennett 38- 41 79
T 18 Lauren Hughes 42- 40 82
T 31 Ashley Kelbough 45- 43 88
4 Eastern Illinois 326
T 9 Amy Simons 37- 41 78
16 Jacky Bodis 42- 38 80
17 Carrie Riordan 41- 40 81
T 29 Carrie Paul 45- 42 87
37 Michelle Anderson 48- 47 95
5 Tennessee Tech U. 331
T 9 Beth Underhill 39- 39 78
T 21 Megan French 41- 42 83
24 Kristen Martinez 43- 41 84
T 27 Carla Hazelwood 44- 42 86
34 Mandy Siebert 47- 43 90
6 Samford University 334
T 9 Maria Troche 40- 38 78
T 18 Courtney Warr 42- 40 82
T 27 Stephanie Larson 46- 40 86
T 31 Kellie O'Connell 45- 43 88
36 Kelly Stout 46- 47 93
7 Austin Peay State U. 335
T 18 Pier-Anne Lachance 39- 43 82
T 21 Rachel Ingram 41- 42 83
T 21 Erin Wise 45- 38 83
T 29 Christine Idoux 42- 45 87
38 Lindsey Pippins 51- 46 97
8 Tennessee State U. 355
T 1 Jessica Nemnich 38- 37 75
33 LaToya Moppins 48- 41 89
35 Danielle Stewart 48- 43 91
39 Genesis Fitzgerald 49- 51 100
40 Mary Brigance 55- 59 114