Johnson, Mills Propel Elon to Draper Valley Title
DRAPER, Va. ? Kelsey Johnson (74-71?145) and Danielle Mills (68-77?145) ended up in a tie for second place, lifting Elon to a first-place finish in the 16-team field of the Draper Valley Intercollegiate women’s golf tournament Tuesday afternoon at the Draper Valley Golf Club.
Behind the efforts of Johnson, Mills, Dani Mullin (75-75?150), Tara McFadden (73-81?154) and Frederique Bruell (79-75?154), the Phoenix (290-298?588) edged Southern Conference member Western Carolina (293-298?591) and Gardner-Webb (601) for championship in the two-day, two-round event. Virginia Mayer (80-74?154) represented Elon as an individual.
Hosted by Southern Conference foe Appalachian State, the tournament marks the season opener for Elon.
WCU Freshman Blaire Minter Wins Draper Valley Intercollegiate; Women’s Golf Posts Runner-Up Finish
Minter shot an even-par, 144, over the two rounds to claim her first-ever collegiate championship
Fort Chiswell, Va. ? Western Carolina freshman Blaire Minter carded an even-par, 144, over the two-day event to win the 2008 Draper Valley Intercollegiate, hosted by Appalachian State at the par 72, 5,910-yard Draper Valley Golf Club. The Catamounts were unable to make up any ground over the final 18 holes, though, finishing the same three strokes as it stood after Monday’s opening round back of team champion, Elon.
The Phoenix (290-298?588) edged the Catamounts (293-298?591), with Gardner-Webb (299-302?601) and Tennessee Tech (300-301?601) tied for fourth and Charleston Southern (295-314?609) rounding out the top five.
Western’s two-day total of 591 ranks tied for the sixth-best, 36-hole tournament in school history.
Minter, who fired a career-low round of 70 on the final 18 to rally from 13th after the first day to win, is the eighth different Catamount since 1993 to win the individual play portion of a tournament. The Marietta, Ga., native is also just the third freshman in WCU history to win in her first season, joining Line Cordes (2002-03) and Brandy Andersen (2002-06) ? both of which went on to claim the top rookie honors in the Southern Conference.
It is the second-time that a Catamount making her WCU debut claimed the Draper Valley Intercollegiate individual medalist honors. Former golfer Malin Fryk, who transferred to Western from UTEP, won the same tournament in 2005 with an identical score. Although a sophomore at the time, the victory was the first in Fryk’s collegiate career which ended prematurely last season with an injury. Fryk continues to rank second on WCU’s all-time scoring charts, though, with an average of 75.69 in 54 rounds.
Behind Minter, sophomore Josefine Sundh posted her career-best finish by placing tied for second. The Kumla, Sweden, native shot a career-low round of 70 on Monday and 75 on Tuesday to finish tin a four-way tie for the runner-up spot at 145, her best 36-hole score.
Junior Desiree Karlsson, who was in fifth after shooting 71 on Monday, slipped into a two-way tie for ninth at the opening tournament, four strokes in arrears of the leaders at 148. Rounding out Western’s squad was freshman Rachel Nelson (T-23rd, 154) and junior Elin Mickelsson (T-36th, 157).
Freshmen Ashley Shinn and Christina Amoriello, both playing as individuals, finished tied for 61st at 169 and 68th with a 174, respectively, in their first collegiate tournaments.
Western Carolina will host the 10th-annual Great Smokies Intercollegiate this weekend at the Waynesville Country Club in Waynesville, N.C. The Catamounts have won five of the nine previous team championships while also having five of the nine medalists.
The event begins on Sunday, Sept. 14 with practice rounds, with the first round set for Monday, Sept. 15 and concluding on Tuesday, Sept. 16.