I couldn’t possibly
report on all the conference championships that will be played in the next
couple of weeks. But I’ll do the best I can. Let’s get it started …
Delaware saw its bid for a third straight Colonial Athletic
Association team title come up short as College of Charleston claimed the
conference crown and punched its ticket to the NCAA regionals with a 10-shot
victory over the Blue Hens Sunday at The Reserve Club at St. James Plantation
in Southport, N.C.
Delaware got a solid showing from Ariane Klotz, a sophomore
from New Caledonia who shared second place in the individual standings with
College of Charleston’s Victoria Huskey, a sophomore from Greenville, S.C., a
shot behind UNC-Wilmington’s Lyberty Anderson, a senior from Chesterfield, Va. who
became just the second player to repeat as CAA individual champion.
Klotz was steady, opening with a 2-over 74 Friday over the
6,066-yard, par-72 Reserve Course layout and adding a pair of 75s Saturday and
Sunday for an 8-over 224 total.
Huskey led the way for the Cougars as she held the lead by a
shot over Anderson after two rounds after adding a 1-under 71 to her
opening-round 74 for a 1-over 145 total. But she struggled a little Sunday with
a final-round 79 to drop into the tie for second with Klotz.
But Huskey was one of three College of Charleston players
finishing among the top seven to give the Cougars what they came for, a CAA
title.
The Cougars grabbed control of the tournament with an
opening round of 11-over 299, the best team round of the tournament. They added
a 301 in Saturday’s second round before finishing up with a 310 for a 46-over
910 total.
There wasn’t a whole lot of mention of weather, but I
suspect coastal Southport got a little breezy for the final round when the
winds that had brought warm weather Friday and Saturday turned around and blew
off the chilly Atlantic Ocean Sunday.
Delaware was chasing all the way as the Blue Hens trailed
College of Charleston by six after opening with a 305. They added a 306 in
Saturday’s second round before finishing up with a 309 for a 56-over 920 total.
It was another 11 shots back to Towson in third at 931 after a final-round 309.
Elon was three shots behind Towson in fourth at 934 after a
final-round 308 that was the low team round of the day Sunday and
UNC-Wilmington was three more shots behind Elon in fifth at 937 after struggling
to a final-round 324.
Isi Nilsson, a junior from Chile, backed up Huskey for
College of Charleston as she finished tied for fourth at 226. Nilsson opened
with a 74 and added rounds of 75 and 77. Olivia Hamilton, a freshman from
England, finished tied for seventh with three straight 76s that gave her a 228
total.
Clarissa Von Stosch, a freshman from Germany, was also
steady in finishing among the group tied for 17th at 236. After
opening with a pair of 79s Friday and Saturday, Von Stosch finished up with a
78. Josefine Garton, a senior from Sweden, finished tied for 21st at
240. She struggled in the final two rounds with respective totals of 81 and 84,
but her solid opening round of 2-over 74 matched Huskey and Nilsson for the low
College of Charleston round of the day.
Anderson opened defense of her individual title with a
3-over 75 and trailed Huskey by a shot after firing a 1-under 71 in Saturday’s
second round. Anderson’s final-round 77 enabled her to overtake Huskey and hold
off Klotz as she finished with a 7-over 226 total.
Joining College of Charleston’s Nilsson in the tie for
fourth at 226 was Elon’s Heather Munro, a senior from Scotland. The ocean
breezes didn’t bother a Scottish gal as Munro’s final round of 2-over 74 was
the best individual round of the day.
James Madison’s Lauren Gomez-Ruiz, a senior from Spain,
finished alone in sixth at 227. Gomez-Ruiz matched par in the opening-round
with a 72 before adding rounds of 79 and 76.
Joining College of Charleston’s Hamilton in a tie for
seventh at 228 was Towson’s Alexis Hios, who, like Hamilton, posted three
straight 4-over 76s.
Delaware’s Thitaree Sakulbunpanich, a freshman from
Thailand, capped her rookie season by finishing alone in ninth at 230. After
opening with a 74, Sakulbunpanich posted a pair of 78s.
Delaware’s junior captains, Ashley Dingman of Fairfield,
Calif. and Valentina Mueller of Switzerland, were next for the Blue Hens.
Dingman finished alone in 13th at 233 as she sandwiched a 79 in the
second round with a pair of 77s. Mueller struggled in first and final rounds
with respective scores of 80 and 85, but her 2-over 74 Saturday was the low
round of the day for Delaware.
Rounding out the Delaware lineup was Isabella Rinton, a
sophomore from Sweden, who finished in the group tied for 32nd at
248. Rinton’s final-round 79 was her best round of the weekend.
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