Tuscaloosa, Ala. ? Sophomore Lauren Darnell (Gainesville, Ga.) recorded a top 20 finish to lead the Stetson women's golf team to an eighth place showing in a 12-team field at the Crimson Tide Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama at Ol' Colony Golf Club this weekend.
Darnell tied for 20th place in a field of 69 golfers, shooting scores of 75-78-79 to finish in a three-way tie with Ashley Cox of Jacksonville State and Kentucky's Louise Ljungstedt at +16. Hatter junior Christine Fraser (Kingston, Ont.) rebounded nicely from an opening 82 with consecutive rounds of 76 to tie for 26th place with Courtney Warr (Samford) at +18. Sophomore Danielle Jackson (Seminole, Fla.) shot 76-81-78 to come in tied for 28th one stroke behind Fraser.
Junior Ashley Kozlowski (Windsor, Conn.) tied for 51st at 26 over par with Caroline Lagerborg (Murray State) and Katie Napleton (Boston College). Kozlowski improved on a first round 83 with 79-80 in the final two rounds. Freshman Alex Banham (Peterborough, England) rounded out the Hatter contingent in a 54th place tie at +27. Banham improved each time out on the par-72, 6,033-yard layout at Ol' Colony to shoot 83-82-78 (+27) and tie two SEC golfers: LSU's Abby Oberthier and Kentucky's Elizabeth Dotson.
Host Alabama, ranked 10th in the nation in the latest GolfWeek collegiate poll, won the tournament by an astonishing 42 strokes, finishing three under par as a team. Individual medalist Kathleen Ekey of the Crimson Tide, the nation's 12th-ranked player, shot 72-66-65 to win by two strokes over Dori Carter of Ole Miss, ranked 32nd nationally.
#21 LSU finished second at +39, followed by Ole Miss (+42) and Jacksonville State (+45). Kentucky and Samford tied for fifth at +54, after which there was a large gap back to seventh place South Alabama (+75). Stetson recorded a team score of 77 over par to finish eighth as the Hatters beat out UAB (+85), Murray State (+89), Boston College (+111) and Troy (+116).
With the regular season concluded, the Hatters now turn their attention to preparing for the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships, to be held Mon.-Wed., April 14-16 at The Ridges Golf and Country Club in Jonesborough, Tenn. ETSU will be the host institution for the tournament; the winner will receive an automatic berth in one of the three NCAA Regional Championships.
