Sorrento, Fla. - Senior Alyssa Morahan climbed 20 spots in the individual standings in the second round that spanned both Monday into Tuesday to lead the Western Carolina women's golf team to a ninth-place finish at the weather-shortened MSU Citrus Challenge contested at the RedTail Golf Club. On-going weather-related issues prompted officials to conclude the event at 36 holes, 18 shy of its scheduled 54-hole format.
WCU finished with a two-round score of 635 including a 321 first round and 314 in the second -- the latter representing the third-lowest team round of the season for the squad.
Morahan fired a second-round, 3-over par 75 for a two-day total of 157, coming home tied for 28th overall to lead the Catamount scoring five. She additionally paced the squad in both par-3 scoring (+2, 3.25) and par-5 scoring (-1, 4.88).
Freshman Maya White, who led the Catamounts through the opening 18 holes, finished tied for 34th overall with a two-round score of 158. She was two strokes off her first-round score of 78 with an 80 in the rain-altered second round. Sophomore Brianna Plummer was also two shots off her first-round score, firing an 81 over the second 18 holes to finish tied for 43rd. Plummer led the Catamounts with five birdies in the tournament.
Rounding out WCU's scoring five were senior Amanda Floberg, who advanced two positions to finish in a tie for 46th at 161 (82-79) and freshman Hazel Martin, who was up 10 spots in a tie for 53rd with a two-day score of 164 (84-80). Floberg shot par on 23 of the 36 completed holes.
First-round leader, Florida Gulf Coast, cruised to a 12-stroke victory over the two-way tie for the runner-up spot between Murray State and Keiser University. FGCU finished at 597 (297-300) with the tie for second finishing with matching scores of 609. Austin Peay State (610) finished fourth, one stroke back from the two-way tie, while Morehead State (618) rounded out the top five teams.
Michaela Fabiankova of Keiser University followed-up her 1-under par opening round of 71 with an even-par round of 72 for a total of 143, claiming individual medalist honors by five strokes over a four-way tie for second.
Western Carolina returns to action March 30-31 at the EKU Colonel Classic in its final tune-up before the 2018 Southern Conference Women's Golf Championship. The penultimate tournament of the WCU women's golf regular season is slated for 54 holes spread over two days with 36 holes on the opening day with the event to be held at the University Club at Arlington. Live scoring of the event will be available online through GolfStatResults.
9 -- Western Carolina -- 321-314 = 635
T28 -- Alyssa Morahan -- 82-75 = 157
T34 -- Maya White -- 78-80 = 158
T43 -- Brianna Plummer -- 79-81 = 160
T46 -- Amanda Floberg -- 82-79 = 161
T53 -- Hazel Martin -- 84-80 = 164