Penn takes team title in Nittany Lion Invitational; Seton Hall's Sager, Fouratt two of three individual co-champions

   With the departure of an outstanding group of seniors, it was the start of a new era for the Penn State women’s team and the Nittany Lions responded with a solid runnerup finish in the 43^rd Annual Nittany Lion Invitational, which concluded Sunday at the Penn State Blue Course.

   It was also a solid showing for Seton Hall, which finished third in the team standings behind two of the three individual co-champions, senior Maddie Sager, the 2015 PIAA Class AAA runnerup as a senior at Owen J. Roberts, and Sarah Fouratt, a sophomore from Santa Maria, Calif.

   But the team title went to Penn, which placed four players in the top 10 on its way to an eight-shot victory over host Penn State in its season debut.

   The Quakers, who finished fifth in last spring’s Ivy League Championship, look like they might be on the upswing. After opening with a 4-over-par 292 over the 6,322-yard, par-72 Blue Course, Penn added an even-par 288 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before again matching par in Sunday’s final round with a 288.

   The Quakers’ previous team record for a single round was 289, so that record was broken and then matched in consecutive days. Their 4-over 868 total was 32 shots better than the previous team record for a 54-hole event.

   Host Penn State opened with an 8-over 296 Saturday morning before adding a 3-over 291 in Saturday afternoon’s second round. The Nittany Lions closed with a solid 1-over 289 for a 12-over 876 total. Penn State was defending the Nittany Lion Invitational title it had won in dramatic fashion a year ago with a late rally that caught Washington, with the Nittany Lions owning the tiebreaker edge.

   Seton Hall, which took third place in the Big East Championship last spring, had the best team round of the weekend, a 3-under 285, in Saturday afternoon’s second round after opening with a 10-over 298. The Pirates closed with a 7-over 295 that left them two shots behind Penn State in third place at 14-over 878.

   One of Penn State’s Big Ten rivals, Rutgers, was another 18 shots behind Seton Hall in fourth place at 32-over 896. The Scarlet Knights sandwiched a 300 with a pair of 298s. High Point, behind the third individual co-champion, Samantha Vodry of Mooresville, N.C., finished fifth in the 12-team field with a 35-over 899 total, three shots behind Rutgers. High Point closed with a solid 2-over 290 Sunday after rounds of 307 and 302 in Saturday’s double round.

   Penn had four players finish among the top eight, led by Abigail Wiranatha, a freshman from West Covina, Calif. who made a spectacular college debut by finishing alone in fourth place, a shot behind the three co-champions at 1-under 215. Wiranatha sandwiched a 1-over 73 in Saturday’s second round with a pair of 1-under 71s.

   A pair of Quakers, Leila Dizon, a sophomore from Los Angeles, and Susan Xiao, another freshman from Canada, were among the three players tied for fifth place at 1-over 217.

   Dizon contributed a 2-under 70 to Penn’s solid second-round showing before matching par in the final round with a 72. Xiao’s 3-under 69 in Saturday’s second round was the Quakers’ low individual round of the weekend and she closed with a solid 1-over 73 to finish at 1-over.

   Rina Jung, a junior from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., earned a share of eighth place at 3-over 219. Jung matched Wiranatha’s opening-round 71 to help the Quakers get off to a good start, struggled a little with a 76 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and matched par in the final round with a 72.

   Jung was Penn’s top finisher in the Ivy League Championship last spring, ending up in a tie for fifth at The Ridge at Back Brook.

   Rounding out the starting lineup for Penn was Mary Shin, a sophomore from Irvine, Calif. who finished among the group tied for 37^th at 232. After opening with a solid 3-over 75, Shin struggled a little with a 77 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and a closing 80 Sunday.

   Penn also had two players, Selina Li, a freshman from Hong Kong, and Christina Park, a senior from San Diego, compete as individuals and each landed in the group tied for 30^th place at 230. Li’s weekend featured a solid 1-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round while Park, who will be counted on to provide some leadership for the young Quakers, was steady, posted a pair of 77s in Saturday’s double round before finishing up with a 76 Sunday.

   Only two players were under par following Saturday’s double round, Seton Hall’s Sager and Sammie Staudt, Sager’s teammate and former District One rival during an outstanding scholastic career at Coatesville.

   Sager opened with a sparkling 3-under 69 and added a 2-under 70 Saturday afternoon as she stood at 5-under 139. Staudt, competing as an individual, matched par in the opening round with a 72 before firing a 3-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and was two shots behind Sager in the individual chase at 3-under 141.

   Fouratt caught her teammate Sager with a 4-under 68 in the final round, matching the program record for a single round on a par-72 course. Sager fell back in Sunday’s final round with a 3-over 75. The 2-under 214 totals for Sager and Fouratt broke the Seton Hall record for a 54-hole event on a par-72 course. Fouratt had opened with rounds of 74 and 72 in Saturday’s double round. It was the first collegiate victory for Sager and Fouratt.

    High Point’s Vodry got herself in the picture for a share of the individual title by closing with a 2-under 70. She had opened with a 1-over 73 before adding a 1-under 71 in Saturday afternoon’s second round, which left her five shots behind Sager heading into Sunday’s final round.

   Staudt, a four-time PIAA qualifier at Coatesville, backed off in Sunday’s final round with a 76 to join Penn’s Dizon and Xiao in the tie for fifth at 1-over 217. It was a career-best showing for Staudt, who made a pretty strong case for a spot in the Seton Hall starting lineup. Sager and Staudt have been solid building blocks for an improving Seton Hall program.

   Penn State was led by junior Olivia Zambruno, the 2016 PIAA Class AA champion as a senior at Greensburg Central Catholic, and Mathilde Delavallade, a freshman from France, both of whom joined Penn’s Jung in the trio tied for eighth place at 3-over 217.

   Zambruno, who lost in the final of the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur Championship to former Penn State teammate Jackie Rogowicz this summer, opened with a 74 and matched par in the second round with a 72 before closing with a 1-over 73. Delavallade was the picture of consistency, registering three consecutive 1-over 73s.

   Backing up Zambruno and Delavallade for Penn State was Sarah Willis, a sophomore from Eaton, Ohio who made such a big splash by winning the individual title in the Penn State Invitational while competing as an individual a year ago. Willis finished alone in 13th place at 5-over 221 after posting a pair of 1-over 73s in Saturday’s double round before closing with a 3-over 75.

   It was a solid start to her senior season for former Council Rock North standout Madelein Herr, who finished a shot behind Willis at 6-over 222 in the group tied for 14^th place. After opening with a 77, Herr added a 1-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before matching par in Sunday’s final round with a 72.

   Rounding out the starting lineup for Penn State was senior Megan McLean, who starred scholastically at Voorhees High. McLean, who reached the second round of this summer’s North & South Women’s Amateur Championship at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C., finished among the group tied for 17^th at 224.

   McLean started slowly with rounds of 75 and 77, but closed with a 1-under 71 that was Penn State’s best score of the final round.

   Penn State head coach Denise St. Pierre always uses the Nittany Lion Invitational to test her depth and three Penn State players competed as individuals.

   Ashni Dhruva, a senior from Katy, Texas, had a solid showing, finishing alone in 21^st place at 225. Dhruva closed strongly with a final round of 1-under 71. A prized recruit, freshman Lauren Freyvogel, the 2017 PIAA Class AAA champion as a junior at Pine-Richland, was solid as well, ending up among the group tied for 26^th at 228. Freyvogel had rounds of 77 and 75 in Saturday’s double round before closing with a 76.

   Redshirt freshman Taylor Waller, a scholastic standout at Canon-McMillan, finished among the group tied for 55^th at 239. Waller got better in every round, adding a 79 to her opening-round 82 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 78.

   Backing up Sager and Fouratt in the starting Seton Hall lineup was Carolina Ronchel Salas, who finished among the group tied for 17^th at 224. Ronchel Salas contributed a 1-under 71 to the Pirates’ strong second round before closing with a 77.

   Lizzie Winn, a senior from Sylvania, Ohio, finished in the group tied for 22^nd at 226. Winn also had her best round in Seton Hall’s strong second round, an even-par 72, before closing with a 75. Junior Mia Kness, the 2016 PIAA Class AAA champion as a senior at Peters Township, rounded out the Seton Hall lineup as she finished among the group tied for 37^th at 232 after closing with a 77.

   Navy, which finished sixth in the team standings at 48-over 912, got a solid showing from senior captain Morgan Frazier, who finished eighth in the 2015 PIAA Class AAA Championship as a senior at Cumberland Valley. Frazier, who reached the semifinals in the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur this summer, finished among the group tied for 46^th at 234 after closing with a 78.

   Teeing it up in the starting lineup for Georgetown, which finished 10^th in the team standings with a 938 total, was senior Kate Evanko, who starred scholastically at Unionville. Evanko opened with a 4-over 76, but struggled in Saturday afternoon’s second round with an 83 before closing with a 78 Sunday to end up among the group tied for 50^th at 237.

   Freshman Esther Park, a product of the Charter School of Wilmington who was one of the region’s top junior players the last few years, competed as an individual and had the best finish for the Hoyas. Making a strong case for a spot in the starting lineup, Park finished among the group tied for 28^th place at 229. After opening with a 78, Park carded a solid 2-over 74 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 77.