G-MAC Championship 1st Round Results (PDF)
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio – The chase for four in a row was off to a strong start for Trevecca Nazarene as the first round of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championship concluded on Monday.
After winning team titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the Trojans’ experienced and senior-laden program played the links with even more precision during a beautiful day in the mid-80’s with little-to-zero wind at Four Bridges Country Club.
It was a stark contrast to last year’s version of the conference tournament that featured winds in excess of 45 mph, heavy rainfall and whitecaps forming on the bodies of water around the course.
The G-MAC Golf Championships banquet on Sunday night at the Embassy Suites in nearby Blue Ash set the stage for the league’s fourth annual event. Each head coach had their moment on the floor to speak about the current season and the student-athletes under their leadership.
But on Monday, TNU worked to build a considerable cushion heading into Tuesday’s final round, leading current runner-up Alderson Broaddus by 33 strokes following its first-round total of 321.
The Battlers shot a 354 followed by Ohio Valley in third place with 360. Sitting at fourth is Ursuline, just one stroke behind the Fighting Scots at 361.
Kentucky Wesleyan had one individual competing (Kaitlyn Pelletier), which did not result in a team score.
Trevecca Nazarene junior Alexa Rippy entered the clubhouse as the leader in the race for medalist honors after winning the individual title a year ago and placing eighth at the NCAA East Super Regional.
Rippy carded a 74 (+2) and used 32 putts -- evenly distributed with 16 each on the front and back nine. She led the entire field with 10 pars and four birdies and played both par 3’s and par 5’s under par for the day.
“Today was a lot of fun,” she said. “It seems easier when you can come out here and just play. Conditions were a lot better than last year which always helps, but I felt pretty good about my round today. (I) had a few mental mistakes but felt like I did pretty good.”
Rippy leads by seven strokes heading into the final round with a second-place tie forming between Alderson Broaddus freshman Savannah Jackson and another TNU Trojan, Marlee Stecker.
Jackson, playing her first conference tournament, had three birdies and was only second to Rippy in par 3 and par 4 scoring for the day. Stecker also played the par 3 holes under par and recorded eight total pars.
A trio of Trevecca Nazarene golfers finished with respective rounds of 83 as Kaylon King, Haley Smith and Mikayla Dodson, all matched each other’s effort on Monday.
Ohio Valley’s Lauren Reid and Ursuline’s Kennedy Fay each shot an 85 to lead the Fighting Scots and Arrows, respectively. They are tied for seventh.
Tuesday’s second and final round will feature a shotgun start at 9 a.m. EST.