Storm fifth after first round of Iowa Conference Championship

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Led by Jennifer Gaffney's team-low 82, the Simpson women's golf team sits in fifth place after the first round of the Iowa Conference Championship at Pheasant Ridge Golf Club.

Four-time defending champion Wartburg leads the tournament, shooting a 319 in the first round. Led by two-time individual champion Sarah Paulson's 75 - the low round of the day - Central is a stroke behind in second at 320. Loras is third (342), followed by Luther (343), Simpson (349), Buena Vista (352), Coe (356), Cornell (378) and Dubuque (384).

Gaffney's 82 is her low round of the season and four strokes below her 86.0 average. She is in a four-way tie for eighth, three strokes back of four golfers - Buena Vista's Kylie Hammer, Wartburg's Morgan McMillin and Kelsi Sawatzky, and Loras' Abby Pots - who are all tied for fourth after shooting 79.

Stacy Bergeson and 2009 all-conference performer Taylor Hillery carded 87s in the first round, putting them in a tie for 18th. Bergeson's effort topped her previous low round of the year by two strokes.

Molly Hill is tied for 32nd after shooting a 93 and Jennifer Stumpf is tied for 39th with 102.

The tournament continues Saturday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls.  Due to the possibility of frost, tee times have been pushed back one hour and will now begin at 10 a.m. with players from Wartburg, Central, and Loras. Players from Luther, Simpson and Buena Vista will go off in the second wave beginning at approximately 10:40 a.m. followed by golfers from Coe, Cornell and Dubuque beginning at roughly 11:20 a.m.