2015 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championship 1st Round Results
 
ALLENDALE, Mich. — Sophomore Crystal Wang showed no signs Wednesday of slowing down from her West Regional title last week as she played herself into the top-10 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championship at The Meadows Golf Course.
 
Wang sat in a seven-way tie for eighth place after shooting a four-over 76. She is six strokes behind leader Madison Lellyo of Rollins (Fla.) College, who shot a two-under 70 to lead the 71-player field. Wang is tied for third among individuals who qualified for the national championship and stands as the fourth West Region golfer on the leaderboard after the first of four rounds.
 
The second-year collegiate player teed off at 8:35 a.m. Wednesday on the back nine in cool temps that were in the 40s Fahrenheit. She struggled through the first four holes of the championship, moving to three-over with a double bogey on 11 and a bogey on 13. She was consistent, however, hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 12 greens in regulation as she pared the next four holes.
 
"She started getting loose and hitting the ball really well after her first five holes," said Academy of Art head coach Elaine Harris. "The pins were in really hard pin positions [on the back nine], which I was excited about because that's what it means to be on a national championship course."
 
Wang continued to play steady and would shoot even par on her final nine holes. She began her second nine with six straight pars or birdies, including a birdie on the par-four second. Wang sat outside of the top-15 after finishing her day at four-over, but the rest of the field came back to her as players reached the more difficult back nine, eventually moving her into eighth place.
 
"She's striking the ball really well," said Harris. "She was really steady and didn't let the first couple holes distract her from the goal at hand."
 
Wang tees off as the West's No. 2 individual at 10:20 a.m. EDT Thursday in second round action. Weather forcasts call for 53 degrees and 9 mph winds at 10 a.m. Thursday.