Jonesborough, Tenn. ? The Stetson women's golf team equaled its highest conference finish ever by finishing fourth out of eight teams at the Atlantic Sun conference championship at The Ridges Golf and Country Club. The Hatters finished fourth for the second year in a row. Sophomore Lauren Darnell (Gainesville, Ga.) shot five over par 77 in today's final round to finish 12th overall.
Darnell's 77 tied for the fifth-best round of the day in the field of 40 golfers and was the best individual score by a Hatter in the three-day, 54-hole event. Overall, Stetson struggled in the final round with sophomore Danielle Jackson's (Seminole, Fla.) 85 the team's second-best score. Juniors Christine Fraser (Kingston, Ont.) and Ashley Kozlowski (Windsor, Conn.) each shot 86 while freshman Alex Banham (Peterborough, England) rounded out the team with an 89.
The Hatters were in a scoring battle with Jacksonville throughout the day for fourth place; ultimately Stetson bested the Dolphins by two strokes to ensure the program's highest conference finish would be repeated. Hosts East Tennessee State won the tournament and the conference's automatic bid to NCAA Regionals easily; the +39 score recorded by the Lady Bucs was 25 strokes better than second place Campbell (+64). Belmont placed third at +78 while Stetson put up +120 and Jacksonville +122. Mercer (+128), Gardner-Webb (+129) and Lipscomb (+166) completed the field.
The race for the individual title was a compelling one as the lead changed hands several times in the final round. Ultimately it was first round leader Laura Jansone of ETSU coming back from yesterday's 82 with a third-round 77 to claim victory at 10 over par by one stroke over Belmont's Lori Warren and Belen Diaz Cisneros of Campbell. Maite Ortiz de Pinedo (Campbell) took fourth at +12 followed by a tie at 13 over par between Natalia Giraldo (ETSU) and Rebekah Wilson (Belmont).
Stetson's nine-player roster is slated to return virtually intact next season as it bids farewell to lone senior Meagan Carlucci (Southlake, Texas). Head Coach Floyd Kerr has already added one signee for next season: Port St. Lucie native Jen Gartin.
