Trio at even par as Oklahoma Christian women start third

Photo: Elizabeth Freeman shot one of her best collegiate rounds Sunday in the Heartland Conference Championship.

HORSESHOE BAY, Texas (April 14, 2019) – No. 18-ranked Oklahoma Christian was third after the opening round of the Heartland Conference Championship women’s tournament on Sunday at Slick Rock Golf Course.

OC posted a team score of 298 (10-over-par) – one of the 20 best rounds in relation to par in the program’s history – and was 14 shots behind the leader, No. 2 Dallas Baptist (Texas). No. 14 St. Mary’s (Texas) was second at 291. One shot behind OC was No. 22 St. Edward’s (Texas).

It was the eighth time during the 2018-19 season the Eagles – who entered the tournament 10th in Division II in scoring at 301.53 shots per round – posted a round of 300 or less.

The Eagles had three players shoot even-par 72 on the 5,943-yard course – seniors Kate Goodwin of Tulsa and Elizabeth Freeman of Edmond and sophomore Shaley Goad of Wheeler, Texas. All followed the same formula, recording mostly pars and avoiding big numbers.

Goodwin and Freeman – who posted the third-lowest round of her collegiate career – each had two birdies and two bogeys while Goad had one of each to go with 16 pars. The OC trio was tied for fourth in the 43-woman field, four shots behind Ann Parmerter of Dallas Baptist.

Junior Abigail Rigsby of Courtenay, British Columbia, also shot a 68 (with five birdies over her final 12 holes) but tournament officials disqualified her following her round for not signing her scorecard. OC’s fifth player, sophomore Felicity Wittenberg of West Pymble, Australia, shot an 82 and that score was included in the Eagles’ team score.

The 54-hole tournament will continue Monday.