CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Led by sophomore transfer Malin Fryk’s even par performance, the Western Carolina women’s golf team won the 2005 Appalachian State/Draper Valley Invitational, edging out a trio of Southern Conference rivals in the process. The Catamounts fired a 591 (293-298) over the two-day event to win the team title, while Fryk secured the individual medalist honors in her first-ever event for Western.
The Catamounts’ 36-hole total of 591 ranks as the second-best, all-time score by a WCU women’s golf team, some five strokes off the all-time record of 586 set at the Wachovia-Great Smokies Intercollegiate back in 2002. The first round of 293 also tied for the third-best individual team round in school history.
Western won the tournament by 13 strokes over Elon (604), with the host Mountaineers placing third with a pair of team 304 scores. Wofford was fourth in at 614, while Belmont rounded out the top five with a team score of 616. The victory for the Catamounts marked the first-time in the program’s history that they had won their season-opening tournament.
Fryk, a native of Trollhattan, Sweden, transferred to Western from Texas-El Paso prior to the fall season. She carded even-par on each day of the tournament to edge the hard-charging Samantha Widmer of Elon by one stroke. After firing a 77 on the opening day, Widmer shot 68 on Tuesday to close the gap on the leader.
Western placed all five scored golfers, and one playing as an individual, amidst the top 27 in the 87-golfer field. Fryk was followed by senior Brandy Andersen, who fired 72 and 75 for a two-round total of 147 to finish in a three-way tie for fourth. Classmate Ashley Hovda shot 150 (76-74) to place ninth, tied with one other. Also scoring for the Cats’ were junior Bianca Melone tied for 23rd (77-77 - 154) and sophomore Kandy Carland, who shot a career-best 72 on the first 18 holes and finished with 155, tied for 27th.
Playing as an individual, senior Erika Danford shot a career-low 76 on the first day, followed by 77 on the final 18 to shoot 153, tied for 16th, which was her first-ever top 20 finish.
Led by four sub-80 final rounds, the Appalachian State University women’s golf team earned an impressive third-place finish out of 16 teams at ASU’s annual Draper Invitational, which concluded Tuesday at Draper Valley Golf Club.
Appalachian carded its second-consecutive 304 to move from fourth place after one round to third in the 16-team field, 17 strokes behind first-place Western Carolina (293-298-591) and just four shots in back of runner-up Elon (304-300-604).
True freshman Mary Kate Bowman highlighted the Mountaineers’ final round with a one-over-par 73.
Sophomore Mary Ellen Herring carded a 3-over par 36-hole total to lead the Wofford women's golf team to a fourth place finish. The Terriers tallied a 38-over par 306-308--614 at the event.
Herring posted rounds of 74-73--147 (+3) to finish in a tie for fourth individually with two other players. Classmate Ashley Current registered a 31st-place tying 77-79--156 (+12).
The final three Wofford team members also finished one stroke behind each other. Junior Laura Parris led the pack with a 38th-place tying 80-77--157 (+13) followed by senior Lauren Stephenson registering a 43rd-place tying 75-83--158 (+14).
Freshman Erin Wells, competing in her first collegiate tournament, posted a 15-over par 80-79--159 to tie for 45th. Fellow rookie Colleen Rice participated as an individual for her first collegiate event and earned an 80-80--160 (+16) and tied for 48th.