Ithaca Places Tied For Fifth In First-Ever NCAA Appearance
HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. -- The Ithaca College women's golf team completed play Friday at the 2014 NCAA Division III Golf Championships with a fourth-round team score of 323 for a four-day tournament total of 1,298 which was 146-over-par. Ithaca finished tied for fifth in the tournament team standings in its first-ever appearance at the national championship tournament. There were 21 teams in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Ithaca's team scores were consistent throughout the week, with a best round of 323 in the fourth round and their highest score of 326 in the opening round, and the Bombers were tied with 25-time national champion Methodist. Rhodes College won the team total with a 104-over-par total of 1,256.
The tournament was played at the El Campeon Course at Mission Inn Resort. Windy conditions on the difficult golf course throughout the week and weather delays impacted play throughout the week. A field of 111 players began the tournament, and due to the delays the individual field was cut to the top-66 players for the final round.
In the final round Friday afternoon, freshman
Kimberley Wong led Ithaca with a score of 7-over-par 79. Wong started her round with a front-nine score of 37. After bogeys on the first and third holes, Wong made a birdie on the par-5 seventh and turned in 1-over-par. Wong shot 42 on the incoming nine. For the week, Wong totaled 33-over-par 321 and finished tied for 15th among all individuals.
A pair of scores of 81 also counted in the Ithaca lineup, posted by senior
Amanda Failla and freshman
Lisa Calcasola. Failla went out in 6-over-par 42 on her front nine, then posted a solid 39 on the inward nine with a birdie on the par-4 11th hole, along with two bogeys and a double bogey. Calcasola made just one double bogey or worse in the entire round, and seven bogeys to total her 9-over-par 81 on a 40 going out and 41 on the back nine.
Failla finished 46th in the individual standings with a 49-over-par 337 and Calcasola was tied for 27th in the overall individual standings with a 38-over-par 326.
Ithaca juniors
Sharon Li and
Kelsey Baker each shot 82, with one of those scores counting toward the team total for the fourth round. Li went out on the front nine with a score of 7-over-par 43, but played better on the back nine with two birdies on the way to a 3-over-par 39. Her four-day total of 34-over-par 322 ranked tied for 19th. Baker went out in 40 on the front nine Friday afternoon and came in with 42 for a score of 82. Baker made a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole in her final round. She was 48-over-par for the week and placed tied for 42nd.
Ithaca concluded its historic fifth full season of varsity women's golf competition with top-five finishes in every single tournament including among the elite field at the national championship.
Sharon Li earned national player of the year and first-team All-American honors from the Women's Golf Coaches Association.
Complete Tournament Results (.pdf)