Former ISU golfer to join U.S. Open

Next week’s U.S. Open will feature a former ISU golfer for only the second time in history.

Jason Knutzon, who graduated from Iowa State in 1999 after participating in four NCAA Regional championships, qualified with rounds of 70—71 and a playoff victory in a sectional competition Monday in Glenview, Ill.

According to the U.S. Open Web site, www.usopen.com, 61 golfers competed for four U.S. Open spots at the sectional.

“For anybody that plays golf… the U.S. Open is probably the [ultimate] goal,” said Jamie Bermel, men’s golf coach at Colorado State who coached Knutzon at Iowa State.

Knutzon holds the single-season stroke average record at Iowa State, shooting 72.7 in the 1996—1997 season. He currently plays on the Asian Tour.

Former Cyclone Max Hall played in the 1949 U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open will be held at the Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago from June 12—15.

— Lucas Grundmeier

Williams advances to national meet

The ISU women’s track and field team has qualified another athlete for next week’s national championships.

Freshman hurdler Rebecca Williams will compete in the 100-meter hurdles. She finished sixth at Saturday’s Midwest Regional final. The top five in each individual event advanced to the national competition.

However, one of the runners who finished in front of Williams did not declare to compete in the event, and Williams, as the sixth-place finisher, will represent the Midwest Region as a replacement.

Williams will join senior high jumper Gina Rickert and junior discus thrower Susan Sherman at the national meet.

Williams’ time of 13.63 seconds at the regional preliminaries was a personal best and third-best time in school history in the 100-meter hurdles.

The national meet will take place June 11—14 in Sacramento, Calif.

— Lucas Grundmeier