E8 Teams Wrap Up At Utica Invitational
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- Elmira College junior
Audrey Clarke '18 fired a round to remember for the EC women's golf team on Sunday, guiding the Soaring Eagles to a fourth-place finish at the Utica College Invitational at the Yahnandasis Golf Club. Utica placed sixth as a team and Nazareth finished eighth.
Although Yahnandasis is widely regarded as one of the tougher links in the area, Clarke mastered the 18 holes after posting a nine-over par 84 during Saturday's opening round. She returned on day two and turned in one of the most impressive rounds of the weekend and her EC career. The Churchville, New York, native shaved seven strokes off of Saturday's score to post a four-over 77 in round two, marking the lowest single-round score of her career and sitting one stroke shy of the best score of the two-day tournament. The third-year Soaring Eagle climbed three spots on the leaderboard and finished in seventh place overall with a cumulative score of 161 (+15), just nine strokes behind medalist Katherine Fortin of Middlebury College.
Clarke's second-round 77 tied the program record for the lowest single-round score versus par at four-over, set by former NCAA Division III Championship Tournament qualifer Tory MacNeil '08 during her senior campaign. Clarke's overall score fell just two strokes shy of MacNeil's record-low of 75.
Senior
Giovanna DeLoca '17 also had an outstanding round on Sunday. She was tied for highest climb in the standings by moving up five spots, ultimately tying for 25th. DeLoca carded a second-round 93 (+20), seven shots better than her first 18 holes and the third-lowest round of her career.
Fellow senior
Alyssa Ogden '17 placed 19th with a two-day score of 183. In her second round of collegiate golf, Ogden added five strokes to her tally from Saturday and carded a 94 (+21).
Elizabeth Paolucci '17 and
Sarah Hiltbrand '19 each trimmed five strokes off of their first-round scores. Paolucci tied for 37th and Hiltbrand followed in 39th.
After shooting an opening-round 391 (+99), the Soaring Eagles carded a team score of 377 (+85) to jump Keuka College in the standings and finish fourth out of the eighth competing teams with a two-day total 768 (+184).
Utica freshman
Kara O'Driscoll (Holyoke, MA/Holyoke) shot an 88 on Sunday to lead the Pioneers. She finished the tournament tied for 20
th with a 184. Senior
Jane Pagano (Erie, PA/Tabor Academy) followed up her 92 on day one with a 93 on Sunday to bring her weekend total to 185.
Senior
Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) shot a 102 on Sunday to bring her two-day total to 206, while freshman
Olivia Hirschy (Fort Wayne, IN/Culver Academies) carded a 107 to finish the weekend with a 213.
Miranda Cuda (Sylvan Beach, NY/Oneida) rounded out the day for the Pioneers with a 116, improving upon her day one total by 13 strokes.
Nazareth freshman
Olivia Dowdle was the top finisher for the Golden Flyers with a 202 over the two days. She shot a 95, followed by a 107 on Sunday.
Katherine Babuka and
Kayla Page tied for 34
th place with a two-day score of 216. Babuka improved upon a 111 on day one to a 105 on day two. Page carded a 104, followed by a 112.
Rounding out the scoring for Nazareth was
Lacey Rezucha, who place 43 with a score of 246. Her day one total was a 127, before she shot a 119 on Sunday.
Final Team Results
1. Middlebury – 633 (+49)
2. Hamilton – 644 (+60)
3. St. Lawrence – 675 (+91)
4. Elmira – 768 (+184)
5. Keuka – 773 (+189)
6. Utica – 788 (+204)
7. SUNY Canton – 868 (+284)
8. Nazareth – 880 (+296)