SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford women's golf team hosted the annual Terrier Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday at the Carolina Country Club, placing third in the 13-team field with a 924 team score.
Bella Kent led the way in fourth place with her 222 as one of three Terriers in the top 20.
Wofford opened with rounds of 316 and 301 on the two-round first day of action. With a 307 in the final round, the Terriers tallied a 924 to best Elon by a single stroke and claim third place. The result is Wofford's best of the season, and with previous finishes of sixth and fifth, the Terriers have placed top six in all three tournaments this fall. The Terriers tied for the best par-3 scoring average with Elon at 3.22 and were barely second on par 4s with 4.29, a touch behind Samford's 4.28 mark. Wofford's lineup amassed 25 birdies, tied for fifth most in the field, and the Terriers picked up 154 total pars, tied for fourth most.
Samford won the team title by 11 strokes over Queens (N.C.) with a 904 score at 40-over.
Bella Kent led the way for Wofford in fourth with a 6-over 222. After opening with 73, she concluded day one with a 3-under 69, one stroke off her career low. She entered the final round one stroke off the leader in second place, and despite an 80 to wrap play, Kent would only fall two spots because of the massive lead she'd accrued on day one. With a 142 over the event's first 36 holes, Kent tied for the sixth-best 36-hole score in program history. The fourth-place result is the fifth top five of Kent's career and her second this season. Her second-round 69 marks the third round of her career in the 60s, now a Wofford program record for a career. Only a sophomore, she has broken the tie with Becca Earl, Sarah Hurt and current assistant coach
Alex Rankin, all of whom owned two. Kent boasted the best par-3 average in the event with a 2.83 mark, and her 4.20 par-4 average was tied for sixth best. She recorded eight birdies (sixth most) and 34 pars (seventh most) in the tournament.
Samford's Gabi Nicastro claimed low medalist honors to complete the sweep for the Bulldogs. The only player in the 71-golfer field under par, Nicastro carded a 7-under 209 to win the event by nine strokes over UNC Asheville's Caroline Patterson.
Maggie Jackson carded a 233 to place in a tie for 15
th, her ninth-career top 20 and first this season. Jackson steadily improved over the course of the event, opening with an 80 before posting a 78 in round two and using a 75 in round three to advance seven positions on the leaderboard into the top 20.
Lilli Horn joined Jackson and Kent in the top 20, tying for 19
th with her 234. The result is her eighth-career top 20. Horn posted rather consistent scores with rounds of 79-77-78. Horn posted a par-4 average score of 4.23, tied for eighth best in the field.
Taylor Burch nearly made it four Terrier in the top 20, narrowly missing out in a tie for 23
rd. Burch scored a 236 after seeing steady improvement over the course of the tournament like Jackson. The senior opened with an 84 but concluded day one strong with a 77. She finished even stronger on day three by shooting a 75, advancing 11 total spots on the leaderboard.
Regina Parra rounds out the Terrier lineup in a tie for 40
th. She carded a 242 with rounds of 84-79-79.
The remaining three Terriers on the roster all competed as individuals.
Sofia Pedrero and
Delaney Wade tied for 33
rd with both posting a 240 score. Pedrero carded rounds of 83-79-78 to show improvement over the event. Wade tallied an 81 in both rounds on day one but finished stronger with a 78 in the third round.
Anna Ahonen rounds out the Terrier competitors with a 253 in a tie for 59
th. Though carding rounds of 78 and 98 on day one, she bounced back in the third round to finish with a 77 and move up 10 positions. Ahonen's seven birdies tied for the eighth most in the event.
Wofford will conclude its fall slate of action the first weekend of November in the Fripp Island Intercollegiate hosted by USC Upstate.
