October 30, 2012

Fall season wraps up with eighth place finish at UAB Beach Blast

Freshman Megan Williamson and senior Katherine Bell each moved up to 16th place individually as the Tennessee Tech women's golf team placed eighth in the UAB Beach Blast in Gulf Shores, Ala.

GULF SHORES, Ala. – Winds died down slightly Tuesday and scores improved, some dramatically, as the Tennessee Tech women's golf team finished in eighth place at the UAB Beach Blast, held at The Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Southern Mississippi followed its opening round 305 with a 308 Tuesday, capturing the team championship by a comfortable 14 strokes with a 613 total. Sam Houston leaped all the way from sixth place to second, shooting a 305 Tuesday after a 322 Monday for a 627 total. UAB was third at 633, one shot ahead of Houston Baptist (334) in fourth place. Embry-Riddle (640) was fifth, followed by Austin Peay (641), Belmont (646), Tennessee Tech (650) and West Florida (658).

Shelby Hardy of Sam Houston State jumped from third place with a final 72 to capture medalist honors, finishing with a 148 total and a one-shot edge over Juliana Herrera of Southern Miss.

Freshman Megan Williamson and senior Katherine Bell carded matching scores both days. Their second-round 78s bumped each of them from 27^th place to a tie for 16^th place with a 160 total.

Junior Amber Shepherd moved up from 35^th place to 32^nd place, going from an 84 Monday to an 81 Tuesday for a 36-hole total of 165. Freshman Katya Hoffman showed the largest improvement, recovering from a 95 on Monday to shoot a 78 Tuesday. She finished in 53^rd place with a 173 total.

Tech's fifth team member, freshman Madalyn Everts, withdrew from play Tuesday after an 87 Monday.

Among the individuals in the field, Tech had two players. Amanda Randolph trimmed nine shots off her opening round 90 to shoot an 81 Tuesday and finished in 43^rd place. Freshman Allison Geer slipped from an 86 to a final 93, dropping from 42^nd place to finish 51^st.