HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Navy women's golf team won its first tournament title in program history at the Low Country Intercollegiate on Saturday and Sunday at the North-Moss Creek Golf Club. The Midshipmen compiled a two-round total of 24-over par 600 to win the tournament.
Along with the tournament victory, Navy set a new program record for lowest team score for a 36-hole tournament with the 600. The Midshipmen had previously set the program record earlier this season at the Princeton Invitational at the end of September with a 33-over 609 during the tournament at Princeton.
"I am very proud of the team," head coach
Nadia Ste-Marie said after the tournament win. "It was great training week down in Charleston [South Carolina] and the girls played very well this weekend. It was pretty windy on the first day of the tournament, but the wind died down a little today.
"Overall, I am really proud of the girls and Christine [McDonnell] had a really good day today. I am really looking forward to watching us progress and continue to get better."
In the field of 93 golfers, Navy had all five golfers in the lineup finish in the top 50.
Christine McDonnell (So., Suwanee, Ga.),
Katie Um (So., Chesapeake, Va.) and
Morgan Frazier (Jr., Mechanicsburg, Pa.) all finished inside the top 10.
McDonnell paced the Midshipmen with a 3-over par 147 to place fifth in the field. The sophomore shot a 5-over par 77 on the first day of the tournament and then posted a team-best 2-under par 70 on Sunday. McDonnell's round on Sunday was her team-leading sixth round of the season at or below par. Her two-round total of 147 also set a new program record for lowest 36-hole tournament score, which surpassed her 5-over par 149 at the Princeton Invitational.
Um posted her first top 10 finish of the season following a 6-over par 150. She was the lone golfer for Navy to shoot at par or better on Saturday with an even-par 72. Um rounded out the tournament with a 6-over par 78 during the final round.
Frazier finished just one shot back of Um with a 7-over par 151 during the two days. Frazier carded a 3-over par 75 on day one and followed with a 4-over par 76 on Sunday.
Shannon Gould (Fr., O'Fallon, Mo.) just missed the top 10 and was tied for 17th at 9-over par 153. Gould fired a 7-over par 79 in the first round but followed with a 2-over par 74, which tied her career-low round and helped propel the Midshipmen from second to first on the final day to win the tournament title.
Amelia Root (Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.) finished tied for 50th overall at 19-over par 163. She finished at 14-over par 86 on Saturday and then posted a 5-over par 77.
Navy also had three individuals in the field in
Emily Root (So., Jacksonville, Fla.),
Jacqueline Cherry (Fr., Ellicott City, Md.) and
Micah Vincent (Jr., Columbus, Ohio).
Emily Root led all individuals in the field and finished tied for 36th overall at 16-over par 160. Cherry was tied for 83rd at 30-over par 174 and Vincent placed 90th with a 41-over par 185.
The Midshipmen finished four shots ahead of Bethune-Cookman who had a team score of 28-over par 604 for the competition.
Navy is back in action in two weeks at the Harvard Invitational in Winter Garden, Fla., on March 30 and 31 at Orange County National.
