Lugar Leads No. 7 Women’s Golf to NCAA Preview Championship
RESULTS
Angola, Ind., September 3, 2011 — Freshman Olivia Lugar earned co-medalist honors with a career-best 73 to lead the No. 7 ranked Washington University in St. Louis women’s golf team to the NCAA Preview Tournament Championship on Saturday afternoon in Angola, Ind.
Lugar, who trailed by two strokes after the first day, tied Lauren Campbell of Olivet College in the individual standings with a two-day total of 149 (76-73). She joins junior Hannah Buck and sophomore Andrea Hibbert as the only student-athletes in school history to capture a tournament championship in four years as a varsity program.
“Olivia played like she has done it before as did not show any jitters, “said fourth-year head coach Sean Curtis. “She went out like it was any other tournament. It was very impressive to watch. We are thrilled of how Olivia and Taylor (Fagan) played this weekend, and makes our team even stronger from top to bottom.”
After firing a 313 on day one, Washington U. improved five strokes on day two with a 308 to capture the tournament championship by 20 strokes over No. 2 ranked DePauw University. The 308 is the second lowest round in school history, and two shy of the school record set in the 2009-10 season at the Wartburg Fall Invite.
No. 2 ranked DePauw University was second with a two-day total of 641 (327-314), while No. 13 Olivet College (328-332, 660), No. 23 Wittenberg University (336-332, 668), Hope College (348-327, 675) rounded out the top five.
“This was a great tournament overall, and a good start to the 2011-12 season,” said Curtis. “We had some solid play from our entire lineup, and could not be happier with how they competed this entire weekend. It proves to our team that we are very capable of playing with the best teams in the country.”
Freshman Taylor Fagan also performed well in her first collegiate tournament as she fired a two-day total of 156 (80-76) to tie for fifth place. Buck (80-78, 158) was eighth and sophomore Allyson Chee (77-82, 159) was ninth as the Bears’ top four golfers all placed in the top-10. Hibbert finished tied for 16th with a 166 (85-81, 166).
Senior Sarah Miller (90-86, 176, 32nd place), senior Katie Homa (94-84, 178, 35th place) and freshman Elena Chintala (99-90, 189, 52nd place) competed as individuals for Washington U.
Washington U. returns to action on Sunday-Monday, Sept. 11-12, at The O’Brien National Tournament in South Bend, Ind.