Skip to main content

Oklahoma leads NCAA Women’s Golf Championship

By WTOP Staff

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma freshman Alexandra Kaui holed a wedge from 118 yards for an eagle on the par-4 15th and finished with a 3-under 67 on Wednesday to take the lead in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship and help the Sooners maintain a three-stroke advantage in the team standings.

Kaui, from Honolulu, had a 5-under 135 total at Tulsa Country Club for a three-stroke lead over Michigan State’s Allyssa Ferrell and Stanford’s Lauren Kim.

“The front nine was pretty slow. But once I dunked one from 118 yards, I said, ‘Oh my gosh,'” Kaui said. “Suddenly I’m 2 under and wanted to finish really strong.”

She did that with a birdie on the 160-yard 17th hole and a par on the par-4 18th.

Emily Collins added a 71 for Oklahoma, Anne Tanquay shot 74, 2012 champion Chirapat Jao-Javanil had a 75, and Kaitlyn Rohrback a 78. Only the top four scores count in the team total each day in the 72-hole event.

The wind gusted to 26 mph from the south, a little calmer than the opening day.

“Even though it was still pretty windy, it felt like nothing to us compared to all the times we’ve practiced with winds gusting up to 40 mph, Kaui said. “I think it really helps prepare us.”

Ferrell holed a 75-foot birdie putt on her final hole for a 69, and Kim shot 71.

Big 12 champion Oklahoma had a 7-over 287 total in the second round to reach 15-over 575.

Duke was second after a 5-under 285. Celine Boutier led the Blue Devils with a 70, Celine Boutier shot 70, Sandy Choi 71, Laetitia Beck and Alejandro Cangrejo 72.

“We were very patient,” Duke coach Dan Brooks said. “I was proud of my team. They handled things really well. It was gustier today, so you had to do more thinking on your par-3 shots.”

Arizona State was third at 20 over, followed by defending champion Southern California, UCLA and Arizona at 24 over, and Pac-12 champion Stanford at 26 over.

Arizona State matched the Sooners with a 7-over 287. The Sun Devils, coached by former Tulsa All-American and coach Melissa Luellen, are seeking their first victory of the year.

“We’re playing well enough to win,” Luellen said. “But there are a lot of good teams here. We all know how good USC is. But they don’t win every time. It’s going to be an interesting next 36 holes.”

Top-ranked Southern California had an 11-over 291.

“I’m sure they are plenty disappointed in the way they have played,” Trojans coach Andrea Gaston said. “Obviously, I think we should be expecting more with all of our players. We probably are feeling a little more pressure because we are defending champions and they know how well they played last year. But you can’t really think about last year, you have to live in the moment. Sometimes a round like today may be just what they need to step it up tomorrow.”

Ferrell helped Michigan State shoot the day’s low team round, a 3-over 283 that moved the Spartans from a tie for 16th to a tie for ninth at 28 over.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote