Ithaca Women's Golf Dominates Field at E8 Championships
Churchville, N.Y. - The Ithaca women's golf team dominated three other teams over the course of two rounds and went on to a 100-stroke victory in the Empire 8 Women's Golf Championships at Mill Creek Golf Club outside of Rochester. The Bombers posted a second-round team total of 321, a 12-shot improvement over the first-round score of 333 strokes. Ithaca's team score of 654 placed ahead of St. John Fisher (754), Elmira (787) and Nazareth (848).
The Bombers have improved on their team score in each of four rounds completed this year, and all four of Ithaca's scorers at the Empire 8 championship earned first team all-conference recognition. Ithaca's other two lineup members were second-team honorees. Ithaca has won both Empire 8 women's golf titles that have been contested.
Freshman Sharon Li (Hong Kong International/Happy Valley, Hong Kong) led Ithaca with a score of 153 over the two days and her second-round score of 1-under-par 71 was an Ithaca record and the first sub-par round posted in the Empire 8. Li tied for first in the overall conference standings, but lost a three-hole playoff for conference Player of the Year honors. Li was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Freshman Kelsey Baker (Hopkinton/Hopkinton, Mass.) totaled 166 to place second among Ithaca's players. Junior Jackie Young (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake/Burnt Hills) and sophomore Amanda Failla (Farmington/Unionville, Conn.) tied with two-day scores of 171 and were all-conference first-teamers.
In the conference tournament, teams are allowed to submit a lineup based of six players instead of five. Ithaca's two other scorers were freshman Paige Fontana (Holmdel/Holmdel, N.J.) with a 176 and junior Samantha Liberty (Brockton/Brockton, Mass.) with a 179. Both earned Empire 8 Second Team selections by finishing among the top-10 individuals.
The Bombers will compete next weekend at the Mount Holyoke Invitational in South Hadley, Mass.
Complete Ithaca Scores
Sharon Li 82-71 -- 153
Kelsey Baker 84-82 -- 166
Jackie Young 84-87 -- 171
Amanda Failla 90-81 -- 171
Paige Fontana 88-88 -- 176
Samantha Liberty 83-96 -- 179