Price lifts NSU past UCO, Souvannasing ties school record with 66, wins third event of fall

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Northeastern State women’s golf team won its second-consecutive tournament after finishing first at the UCO/RCB Bank Classic. The tournament was held at the par-71, 6,001-yard Lincoln Park East Golf Course.

The RiverHawks shot 288 in Tuesday’s final round to finish atop the leaderboard at 12-over-par 580 (292-288). They finished one stroke better than host Central Oklahoma, who landed at 13-over 581 (293-288). The Bronchos were led by individual medalist Marla Souvannasing, who tied a school-record with a 5-under-par 66 in cruising to her second  straight individual title.

Henderson State landed in third at 22-over 590 (296-294), while Lindenwood placed fourth at 25-over 593 (297-296). Arkansas Tech, the tournament’s overnight leader, slipped to fifth and finished at 29-over 597 (289-308).

NSU was led by junior Baylee Price, who carded a career-low 68 in the final round to finish in solo second at 1-under 141 (73-68). The two-round total was also the lowest of Price’s career. She also registered her 14th career top-5 effort.

True freshman Ebba Moberg tied for fifth at 2-over 144 (72-72), while fellow true freshman Halie Wright landed at T-8 with a 4-over score of 146 (72-74). The final true freshman in NSU’s lineup, Kelsey Lumpkin, tied for 18th at 7-over 149 (75-74), and senior Charter Lawson rounded out the winning effort with a T-42 performance at 13-over 155 (77-78).
 
"This was huge for us," said NSU coach Scott Varner. "We are starting to look like the great teams of the past that fight all the way down to the wire. I’m super proud of our players. Winning breeds winning. The women fought for every shot down to the finish. We knew (UCO’s) Marla (Souvannasing) was deep and Daniela (Martinez) was playing well. It was going to take a complete team effort.

"I preach and preach about the value of every shot. I tell them all the time that even if you personally don’t have your best stuff, you still have to continue to fight for every single shot. We had all of our players fighting for every shot this week. That is the essence of team golf."

The winning effort is the second in a row for Northeastern State, which claimed the MIAA Fall Preview title Sept. 28-29 in Jefferson City, Missouri.

UCO also got a 3-under 68 from Daniela Martinez, but came up one shot short in the team race.

"I’m proud of the way we fought back at the end of the round and gave ourselves a chance to win the tournament," said head coach Michael Bond, who had three freshmen in the starting lineup.  "Marla and Dani both played great and really led us.  They’re working hard and making progress every week and that’s all I can ask."

The Bronchos also got a 76 from Grace Shin, while Camilla Schou shot 78 and Makena Mucciaccio 80.  J.T. Neuzil had a 77 and Allyson Wilcox a 78 playing as individuals.
 
Souvannasing finished at 6-under 136 in winning her third tournament of the season – and seventh of her sensational career — by five shots.  The sophomore standout had 11 pars and six birdies against a lone bogey on the day.
 
She started the day with back-to-back birdies and made another on the par-5 fourth hole to quickly get to three-under before finishing the front nine with five straight pars for a 33.
 
Souvannasing opened the back nine with a birdie on the par-3 10th, but gave that back with her only bogey on No. 11.  A two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th hole got her back to five-under and she finished with three easy pars to finish off the record-tying 66.
 
Martinez set the school record in winning this event last year and she used a late charge for her 68 that vaulted her to fifth in the individual standings with a two-over 144 total.
 
The senior bogeyed her first hole of the day on the par-5 fourth and was still 1-over through 11 holes before going 4-under on the last seven.
 
Martinez started that surge with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 15th and added birdies on No. 18 and No. 2.
 
UCO is back in action next Monday and Tuesday at the Dallas Baptist Classic.

Kina Boone fired an even-par 72 for the Rogers State women’s golf team in the second round, helping the team move up to a seventh-place finish.

The junior from Choctaw, Oklahoma was one shot from finishing inside the top 10 placing in a tie for 12th at 147 by leading all participants in par-five scoring at an impressive 5-under-par mark. She tallied the lone eagle for the Hillcats in the tournament and was one of five in the field to do so, and added two birdies for the day.

Mica Eastin was the only RSU golfer to see her score rise after round one, as the junior tallied a 77 to place in a tie for 24th overall of 85 competitors.

One day after her career-best round of 77, freshman Stirling Phillips went even lower in round two, carding a 2-over-par 74 to match Eastin in 24th. Phillips closed the 36-hole event with a team-best 25 pars, including 13 in her second round.
 
Raquel Trevino and Elizabeth McCloskey posted identical rounds of 76 for the second-consecutive round to finish tied at 26th overall with scores of 152. Trevino led RSU with six birdies for the tournament carding three Tuesday.
 
 
UCO/RCB Bank Classic – Final Results
October 6, 2015 at Oklahoma City, Okla.
(Par-71, 6,001-yard Lincoln Park East Golf Course)
                             

Team Standings

1.       Northeastern State                         292-288=580 (+12)

2.        Central Oklahoma                             293-288=581 (+13)

3.        Henderson State                               296-294=590 (+22)

4.        Lindenwood                                      297-296=593 (+25)

5.        Arkansas Tech                                   289-308=597 (+29)

6.        Missouri Western State                    300-298=598 (+30)

7.        Rogers State                                      301-298=599 (+31)

8.        Southwestern Oklahoma State        308-294=602 (+34)

9.        Oklahoma Christian                          296-307=603 (+35)

10.     East Central                                       310-319=629 (+61)

11.     Central Missouri                                320-315=635 (+67)

12.     Southern Arkansas                           335-312=647 (+79)

13.     Southern Nazarene                           320-329=649 (+81)

14.     Fort Hays State                                  324-331=665 (+97)

15.     Harding                                              340-339=679 (+111)

Top-5 Standings

1.        Marla Souvannasing (Central Oklahoma)  70-66=136 (-6)

2.       Baylee Price (Northeastern State)         73-68=141 (-1)

3.        Luisa Gartmann (Henderson State)            71-71=142 (E)

4.        Madelyn Piccininni (Lindenwood)              72-71=143 (+1)

T5.     Ebba Moberg (Northeastern State)       72-72=144 (+2)

           Daniela Martinez (Central Oklahoma)        76-68=144 (+2)

NSU Individuals

2.        Baylee Price                                       73-68=141 (-1)

T5.     Ebba Moberg                                     72-72=144 (+2)

T8.     Halie Wright                                      72-74=146 (+4)

T18.   Kelsey Lumpkin                                 75-74=149 (+7)

T42.   Charter Lawson                                77-78=155 (+13)