CEDAR FALLS, IOWA . . . Central College’s Sarah Paulson fired a 3-over-par 75 in blustery conditions to race to a 3-stroke lead after the first round of the 2011 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Women’s Golf Championship at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course on Friday.

Defending champion Wartburg College holds the 18-hole lead after firing a 319, just ahead of Central College at 320. Loras College (342) is in third place followed by Luther College (343), Simpson College (349), Buena Vista University (352), and Coe College (356). The 320 is the second-best round ever posted by the Dutch at the Iowa Conference Championship.

Paulson, the conference meet medalist and league MVP in both 2008 and 2009, had three birdies in her round and was led all players by going 1-over on the back nine. Central’s Kaurie Kincaid and Wartburg’s Paige Klostermann are tied for second – three shots back – after posting 78s. Four golfers – Buena Vista’s Kylie Hammer, Wartburg’s Morgan McMillin and Kelsi Sawatzky, and Loras’ Abby Potts – are tied for fourth place with 79s, while Simpson’s Jennifer Gaffney, Dubuque’s Alex Hoye, Central’s Ali Miller, and Cornell’s Na Ra Pak are tied for eighth with 82s. Sawatzky is the defending meet medalist.

The IIAC Championship continues Saturday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls.  Due to the possibility of frost on Saturday, 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.