COLLEGE GOLF: Lenoir-Rhyne women win conference tournament

From left: Graduate Assistant Rachel Gray, Brianna Williams, Jordan Young, Evelyn Stein, Chelsea Mansel, Laura Morrison, Natalie Kratts, Ainee O’Connor, Abbey Hartsell, Tessa Young and Head Coach Elliot Gealy.

HobbsDailyReport.com

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore Abbey Hartsell finished second individually and led the Lenoir-Rhyne University women’s golf team to the 2017 South Atlantic Conference (SAC) tournament championship on Tuesday.

The Bears, winning their first league title in 13 seasons, closed at 44-over par 908 at the Link Hills Country Club to edge host Tusculum by three shots on a par-72, 5,910-yard course.

LRU had last won a women’s golf title in 2004.

The Bears were in sixth place after the opening round of the tournament.

Hartsell, the league’s golfer of the year and a former Alexander Central High star, shot a 1-under 215 while the Bears’ Ainee O’Connor – a freshman from Kent, United Kingdom – was third individually with a 10-over 226. Both players earned first-team all-tournament spots.

Elizabeth England of Carson-Newman won the individual title with a 2-over 214.

The Bears now wait to see if they qualify for the NCAA Division II South Super Regional Tournament scheduled May 1-3 at The Members Club at Woodcreek in Columbia, S.C.

Final results

1. LENOIR-RHYNE  908 (+44)

2. Tusculum  911 (+47)

3. Lincoln Memorial  918 (+54)

4. Wingate  924 (+60)

5. Anderson  927 (+63)

6. Coker  928 (+64)

7. Carson-Newman  929 (+65)

8. Queens  932 (+68)

9. Catawba  959 (+95)

10. Newberry  967 (+103)

11. Mars Hill  1,164 (+300)

LRU RESULTS

2. Abbey Hartsell  215 (-1)

3t. Ainee O’Connor  226 (+10)

8t. Chelsea Mansel  228 (+12)

38t. Laura Morrison  239 (+23)

46t. Natalie Kratts  248 (+32)

ALL-TOURNAMENT

FIRST TEAM

Elizabeth England, Carson-Newman

Abbey Hartsell, Lenoir-Rhyne

Ciara Rattana, Tusculum

Ainee O’Connor, Lenoir-Rhyne

Reagan Greene, Lincoln Memorial

Lisa Malherbe, Lincoln Memorial

Kate Hill, Anderson

SECOND TEAM

Katie Tomassoni, Tusculum

Diana McDonald, Wingate

Bella Harris, Coker

Chelsea Mansel, Lenoir-Rhyne

 

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