Tuesday, October 05, 2004

(Oct. 5, 2004) - For the second time in less than a year, the East Tennessee State University women's golf team has brought home a tournament title.

Thanks to a runner-up finish from junior Ashley Barton (Seffner, Fla.) and Top 5 efforts from the freshman duo of Maria Ringdahl (Kalmar, Sweden) and Natalia Giraldo (Cali, Columbia), the Lady Bucs took their five-stroke, first-round lead at the Gamecock Classic and posted a program-record for two-round score with a 30-over-par 614 to best host school Jacksonville State by eight strokes Tuesday on the par-73, 5,995-yard Silver Lakes Golf Course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

For the Lady Bucs, it is the second tournament title in program history. ETSU captured its first-ever tournament title with a victory in the Lady Terrier Intercollegiate last spring in Spartanburg, S.C.

"This shows where we are going as a program," said third-year head coach Stefanie Reynolds, whose team has enjoyed nine Top 5 efforts in its last 12 events. "I'm so proud of our team and the steps they are taking. We didn't fold under the pressure of leading after the first day. By going out there and building on our lead, we showed the kind of fighters our players are on the course.

"It was a battle all the way (with JSU). But this shows the level of play that our girls are capable of now. I still think our best golf is ahead of us. I know it is."

Barton actually finished the event tied for the top spot on the individual leaderboard, but JSU's Marilen Fernandez-Ruiz birdied the first playoff hole to take on the individual title. However, Barton - who posted scores of 76 and 74 for a two-day total of 150 - was not the only Lady Buc in contention. Ringdahl posted a career-best, even-par 73 on the final day and actually led the tournament at one point before finishing tied for third place. In addition, Giraldo placed fifth with a 78-76=154, while senior Danielle O'Reilly (Whistler, British Columbia) posted a two-round 158 to finish in 12^th place.

Along with the Lady Bucs and Jacksonville State, the rest of the top five on the team leaderboard included Birmingham Southern, New Orleans and South Alabama. The Lady Bucs will return to action next week when they play in the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate hosted by East Carolina in Greenville, N.C. on Oct. 11-12.