ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A strong Sunday performance from senior captain Mara Hirtle that was capped of with individual medalist honors helped the Navy women's golf team maintain its lead from Saturday and capture the team title in the Navy Fall Invitational at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club.
 
The Midshipmen opened the weekend on the par-72, 6,084-yard course by shooting a round of 302 on Saturday to hold the lead in a 15-team field entering the final round, posting a 305 score in the final round to preserve first place at 31-over par 607 and hold off second-place Towson.
 
"This was a great weekend from the team," said interim head coach Kylee Sullivan. "Everyone showed a lot of grit and their hard work is paying off. Our seniors showed great leadership down the stretch when the pressure was on, and all the players stayed focused and in the moment. I am super proud of Mara on her individual win and of the team representing so well at home."
 
After beginning the tournament with a round of 75 to sit tied for seventh, Hirtle shot a tournament-low 71 over the final 18 holes to climb past five other golfers and take first place on the player leaderboard with a weekend score of 2-over par 146, one stroke better than tournament runner-up Madison Barber of Towson.
 
Fellow senior Stephanie Lee used a strong opening round of 74 to sit tied for second entering Sunday, two strokes back of the first-round leader in Barber, as Lee then shot a 77 in the final round to finish the weekend tied for fifth at 7-over par 151.
 
Freshman Emma Tang was not far behind, as rounds of 78 and 76 gave her a weekend total of 10-over par 154 and a 14th-place finish, while fellow rookie Keira Howard shot 79 and 81 to take 35th place at 16-over par 160. Rounding out the Navy lineup was sophomore Sue Lee, who posted a great round of 75 on Saturday before a round of 88 on Sunday led to her finishing the weekend in 48th at 19-over par 163.
 
Three Mids also competed as individuals this weekend, as sophomore Hallie Brisco finished tied for 32nd with a score of 15-over par 159 (81-78), while junior Bridget Hoang took 44th at 18-over par 162 (80-82) and freshman Una Johnson shot a 25-over par 169 (81-88) to place 66th in the 88-person field.
 
Navy returns to action when Stephanie Lee heads to Dallas, Texas on Oct. 9-10 to represent Navy in the 2023 Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Trinity Forest Golf Club.