MONROE, N.C. – The No. 1 ranked Anderson University women's golf team wrapped up their week at the Jerry Surratt Memorial Intercollegiate, held at Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe, NC. The Trojans rebounded after a rough start to finish in second place with a total score of 877 (+13), just one stroke behind Wingate, who took home the team championships.
Team Highlights:
- Kennedy Gooding led the team with an impressive score of 217 (+1), tying for third place individually. Gooding's consistent play included rounds of 77, 70, and 70.
- Zoey Iglesias also had a strong showing, finishing tied for sixth with a score of 218 (+2), with rounds of 74, 74, and 70.
- Kennedy McGaha tied for ninth place, scoring 221 (+5) with rounds of 78, 73, and 70.
- Aly Francis tied for 16th place, finishing with a score of 225 (+9) after rounds of 74, 77, and 74.
- Paige Paolucci rounded out the team, finishing 36th with a score of 232 (+16), with rounds of 75, 76, and 81.
Individual Achievements:
- Olivia Pellerin, competing as an individual, finished 36th with a score of 232 (+16), including rounds of 76, 78, and 78.
- Peyton O'Brien, also competing individually, tied for 68th with a score of 240 (+24), with rounds of 83, 77, and 80.
Coach's Comments: "Really proud of the effort this week from everyone. Yet again we played in some brutal conditions on Monday. We came up 1 shot short this week. It's always hard to look back over 54 holes and 5 players and it comes down to 1 shot. That was a heavy weight fight between the top two ranked teams in the country. It's always going to be tough to beat a team of Wingate's level on their home turf. Austin and I have so much respect for JD Lamm and his program. It's always going to be a battle playing them.
Kennedy Gooding was once again extremely special this week. It seems like every week she is finishing in the top 5. She is an absolute dog, such an incredible competitor. Zoey Iglesias is on fire right now. She is finishing her career off in a really fantastic way. She was huge for us this week. Kennedy McGaha was again her usual All-American self this week. She is so steady, and a top 10 machine. Aly Francis continues to have a career year, and she was so massive in the last two rounds. Paige Paolucci was huge for us in the first round and was there if we had to have it. Olivia Pellerin is really starting to flash some signs of how good she can be. She played solid golf this week and her and Peyton O'Brien got more great experience playing in the individual slots.
We are going to come home, let the girls enjoy a couple days off and the end of spring break. We will head to Kentucky this weekend for Findlay's event and then start to turn our attention to the postseason. I am really proud of this group. 4 wins and 3 runner-up finishes in 7 events is really special. Love this group, Go Trojans!"
Looking Ahead: The Trojans are set to compete in their next tournament just a week away as they make the trip to Kentucky to compete in the Findlay Spring Invite.
