The final day of the Bryan National Collegiate in Greensboro, N.C., was one to remember.
The strong field of 18 teams-13 ranked higher than No. 39 Northwestern-didn’t intimidate the Wildcats, as they hit an even-par round Sunday. The 288 score was the lowest of the day and tied for the second-lowest round in school history.
“That’s huge for proving to ourselves that any given day we can compete with any team in the country,” coach Emily Fletcher said.
The Cats ended the tournament in 10th place, topping higher-ranked teams including No. 3 Auburn. Given the elite teams finishing ahead of NU, the strength of opposition is bound to favor the Cats when the latest rankings are released.
“It should help us significantly and help us solidify our place for the Regionals,” Fletcher said.
The participating teams for the NCAA Regional Championships, which the Cats missed out on last season, are chosen by rankings. Improvement on its current standing would only secure NU’s passage to Columbus, Ind., where the competition will be held.
Freshman Lauren Weaver finished atop of NU’s scorecard for the fifth time this season, turning in an even-par round on day three. Her 5-over 221 tied her for 14th in individual scores and put her in the top-20 for the seventh time in nine competitions.
“It’s great going into Regionals and Big Tens coming up to make those top 15, 10 and 5’s,” Weaver said. She added the Cats have the talent to “beat some of the best teams in the country.”
Sophomore Kylie Fuller followed up an even-par 72 round on day two with an under-par round on the final day. She started with two birdies and finished with a 1-under 71 score. It was the first under-par round of her career, and characterized the team’s late rally in the competition.
“I felt good the whole round,” Fuller said. “I could see that my teammates were doing well, which pushed me to do well the whole way.”
Fuller refused to dwell on her achievements, but her coach added another to the list.
“I know she didn’t tell you this, but she had a hole-in-one on the practice round on Thursday-the first in her life,” Fletcher said.
Fuller finished third, behind Weaver and sophomore Alex Lederhausen. Junior Kelsey Lindenschmidt came in fourth, and freshman Anne Ormson placed fifth. Indicative of the team’s overall performance, Lederhausen and Lindenschmidt each had an even-par round, while Ormson, making her collegiate debut, played a 1-over 73 the last day.
“Anne was huge in getting first today, ” Fletcher said. “She struggled the first couple of days but … she seemed really determined today. She was the lead person and her teammates could feed off that because you certainly feed off what you see. She made a great par in her last hole-she hit the ball up to a foot and a half.”
With one tournament left before the Big Ten Championships, the Bryan National Collegiate seemed to be the breakthrough tournament Fletcher talked about the last few weeks.
“It’s a crucial time and this week will be huge for their confidence and belief in themselves going forward,” Fletcher said. “We didn’t quite put three rounds together but even two of the three rounds were good. We had to see ourselves beat some teams and score better than teams ranked higher than us.”[email protected]
