ASU Women's Golf Storms to Low Country Title
HILTON HEAD, S.C. - Appalachian State University women's golf stretched a one-stroke lead into nine strokes in Monday's second round to cruise to victory at the Low Country Intercollegiate. Three sophomore Mountaineers swept the top-three individual places as well, as Yue Xu (Beijing, China/HuiJia Private School) earned her second career title and Kristina Boo (Hassleholm, Sweden/Tekniska Skola) and Rumbidzai Masamvu (Harare, Zimbabwe/Dominican Convent) earned second and third place honors, respectively.
After carding a 314 team round on Sunday, Appalachian tied the fifth-lowest team round score in program history with a 302 on Monday to tally a 616 (+40) for the event to finish nine strokes ahead of Southern Conference rival Samford and 24 in front of host Wofford. It marked ASU's first team win since taking the five-team field at the Carter Intercollegiate in February 2004.
Xu broke a first-round tie for first by carding a one-over-par 73 on Monday to finish at 74-73=147 (+3) for the event. She claimed the second individual title of her young career after winning last spring's SoCon Tournament. The win made the Beijing, China native ASU's first multi-tournament winner since Angie Ridgeway, who now coaches Wofford and presented Xu with the tournament trophy.
Boo also shot a 73 on Monday to finish in second place with a 78-73=151 (+7), while Masamvu was one stroke back in third at 76-76=152 (+8) at the par-72 Moss Creek Plantation, which is the site of next month's SoCon Tournament.
Senior Kerri Dice (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill) tied for 33rd at 86-80=166 (+22) and Mimi Burke (Mooresville, N.C./Cannon School) fired an 87-86=173 (+29) for the Apps.
Competing as an individual, Brittany Zachrich (Hickory, N.C./Montreat) finished 55th with an 83-89=172 (+28).
In addition to the top three squads, The Citadel also represented the SoCon with a 13th-place finish in the field of 14.
Coach Heather Brown's Mountaineers return to competition March 28-29 at the Tina Barrett/Longwood Invitational in Farmville, Va.
SAMFORD WOMEN'S GOLF: BULLDOGS EARN SECOND-PLACE FINISH AT LOW COUNTRY TOURNAMENT
--- Samford's Butts, Heim and Mitchell all register top-10 finishes ---
HILTON HEAD, S.C. --- Following back-to-back first-place finishes this spring, the Samford University women's golf team nearly registered its third straight championship title Tuesday as the Bulldogs finished second at the 2011 Low Country Intercollegiate hosted by Wofford University at the Moss Creek Golf Club.
Appalachian State entered the final day of competition with just a two-stroke lead on Samford, but carded a sizzling tournament-best score of 302 on Tuesday to hang on for the victory. The Mountaineers concluded the 36-hole competition with a total team mark of 616 (314-302).
The Bulldogs also turned in their best round of the tournament Tuesday as they registered a final-round tally of 309. Samford opened the Low Country Intercollegiate with an 18-hole score of 316 on Monday.
Following the Bulldogs' second-place total of 625, Wofford (321-319 = 640), Gardner-Webb (315-329 = 644) and SCAD-Savannah (325-321 = 646) rounded out the top five.
Individually, Samford finished the tournament with three players listed among the top 10. Junior Sarah Butts fired a team-best score of 74 Tuesday to close out the event with a two-day total of 154 (80-74). Butts earned a fourth-place finish in the competition, while teammate Anna Heim placed fifth just a stroke behind at 155 (74-81).
The Bulldogs' true freshman Natalie Mitchell turned in a final score of 158 (82-76) to finish tied for eighth place, while Kayla Turner earned a 14th-place finish in the individual standings with a 36-hole mark of 160 (82-78). Samford's Alex Jasper rounded out the team's scoring Tuesday with a two-round 170 (80-90).
Appalachian State's Yue Xu followed up her first-round score of 74 with a second-round mark of 73 to claim the individual title as the Mountaineers held the top three places to win the Low Country Intercollegiate at the par-72, 5,853 yard Moss Creek South Course.
The Mountaineers had Xu (147), Kristina Boo, who shot a 78 and 73 for a 151, and Rumbidzai Masamvu, who shot a 76 and 76 for a 152 to finish first, second and third, respectively.
Richmond and Presbyterian finished tied for sixth place with a 651, while Western Kentucky (654), Radford (661), Winthrop (670), Brown (675), Tennessee Tech (684), The Citadel (686) and USC Upstate (688) completed the 14-team field.
The Samford University women's golf team will next be in action April 4-5 at the Bulldogs travel to Pinehurst N.C., to participate in the 2011 Cougar Intercollegiate being held at the Pinehurst No. 6 Golf Course.
Rankin, Few Tie For 12th as Terriers Claim Third at Low Country Intercollegiate
HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Led by Alex Rankin and Meredith Few with scores of 159 the Terriers took third place at the Low Country Intercollegiate with a team score of 640 on the two-day tournament at Moses Creek's par-72 5,853 yard South Course.
Rankin fired a 77 on day one and followed up with an 82 on day two for her 159, while Few shot a 78 on day one and an 81 on day two.
Sarah Hurt shot an 81-79--160, Anne Marie Covar carded scores of 85-78-163, and Leah Stephens signed her score card with scores of 88-81--169.
Appalachian State's Yue Xu won the event with rounds of 74 followed up her first round of 74 and 73 to shoot a 147 and claimed the individual title as the Mountaineers held the top three places.
The Mountaineers had, Xu (147), Kristina Boo, who shot a 78 and 73 for a 151, and Rumbidzai Masamvu, who shot a 76 and 76 for a 152 finish one, two and three respectively.
After shooting a 314 on day one, App State shot a 302 for a 616 to win the event by nine strokes. Samford finished second with 316-309--625, while the host team, Wofford took third with a 321-319--640. Gardner-Webb 315-329--644 took fourth, and SCAD 325-321--646 rounded out the top five.
Richmond and Presbyterian finished tied for sixth with a 651, Western Kentucky (654), Radford (661), Winthrop (670), Brown (675), Tennessee Tech (684), The Citadel (686) and USC Upstate (688) completed the 14 team field.
Keith Finishes in 18th Place to Lead Bulldogs in Low Country Intercollegiate
Hilton Head, S.C. - Junior Alanna-Jean Keith fired a two-day total of 162 (+18) to place 18th overall at the Low Country Intercollegiate. The Bulldogs finished the tournament in 13th place with a team score of 686.
Keith's second round score of 78 (+6) strokes ties a season record for the junior to lead her team, while fellow junior Bree Baumgartner finished right behind her, carding an impressive second round score of 79 (+7) to finish the tournament tied for 33rd.
Also competing in the tournament for the Bulldogs was freshman leader Erica Pellegrini who recorded a two-day total of 178 to finish in 66th place, senior Sheri Rockefellerwho fired a 180, and Senior Kate Hardina who completed the intercollegiate with a 206.
Southern Conference foe Appalachian State (616) shined at the competition, winning the tournament by nine strokes over the Bulldogs of Samford University (625). Host of the tournament, Wofford College, carded a 640 to capture third place.
The Mountaineers took the top three individual honors at the tournament with golfers Rumbidzai Masamvu (152) taking third place, Kristina Boo (151) capturing second place, and Yue Xu (147) winning the individual crown.
The Citadel Golf team will be back in action on Monday, April 4 to compete in the Pinehurst Challenge in Pinehurst, N.C. hosted by the College of Charleston.
For more information on Bulldog Golf, make sure to visit the new official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com, launching April 1, 2011.
WCU Women's Golf Eighth at Lady Panther Intercollegiate
Final round scheduled for Tuesday morning at 9 am
Stockbridge, Ga. - Western Carolina posted rounds of 306 and 305 on Monday to stand eighth out of the 15-team field at the John Kirk / Lady Panther Intercollegiate being held at the par-72, 6,074-yard Eagle's Landing Country Club. WCU, which was tied for ninth after the first 18 holes, is just two strokes out of the three-way tie for fourth place and only eight strokes out of the runner-up position.
Paired with players from Daytona State and Mississippi State, WCU takes to the course with Tuesday morning's shotgun start at 9:00 am on the eighth through 10th holes.
Notre Dame shot rounds of 298 and 293 to stand atop the leader board after 36 of the scheduled 54 holes at 591, 12 strokes ahead of second place James Madison (603). Michigan is third, three strokes in arrears of the Dukes at 606, with Central Florida, Maryland and East Tennessee State tied for fourth after shooting 609 on Monday.
Becca Huffer of Notre Dame posted rounds of two-under 70 and one-under 71 to lead the field with a three-under 141 entering the final round. Maryland's Jessie Hollandsworth and Mitsuki Katahira of Daytona State are tied for second entering Tuesday, shooting even-par 144 in the opening round.
Senior Tiffany Schisler and junior Rachel Nelson led the Catamounts in the opening round, which was delayed by nearly 45 minutes by early morning fog. Both Schisler and Nelson shot four-over 76 on the opening 18 holes Monday morning, but struggled in the second round. Nelson fired 81 in her second round to stand tied for 41st at 157 while Schisler posted an 83 on Monday afternoon to slip into a tie for 51st overall.
Senior Josefine Sundh trimmed four strokes off of her opening round 77 to rally from 30th into a tie for 17th with a two-round total of 150 to lead Western Carolina. Sophomore Malin Jansson likewise shot 77 over her opening 18 holes and shot 74 in the second to be in the clubhouse tied for 22nd at 151.
Rounding out WCU's scorers on Monday was junior Blaire Minter, who recovered from an opening round 81 to shoot 77 during the afternoon round to move from 57th into a tie for 46th entering Tuesday's final round.