GULF SHORES, Ala. -- The University of Memphis held on to its
top spot in the UAB Beach Blast to capture the team title, while
the Tennessee Tech women's golf team wrapped up the fall portion of
its schedule Tuesday by finishing in eighth place at the event,
held at the Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club in Gulf Shores.
Sophomore Katherine Bell
and senior Lindsay
Spradlen (pictured above) were Tech's top finishers in
the 36-hole tournament, winding up one stroke apart. Bell slipped
from an opening round 77 to shoot an 84 Tuesday and place in a tie
for 27th at 161. Spradlen, meanwhile, shot rounds of 80 and 82 for
a 162 and a 31st place showing.
Freshman Amber Shepherd,
who was not in the team's lineup but playing as an individual
entry, was next for Tech on the overall leaderboard with a tie for
34th place. She showed the team's biggest improvement on the second
day, following her Monday round of 86 with an 80 Tuesday and a
two-day 166 total.
One shot back at 167 was freshman Ericka Wann, carding
rounds of 84 and 83 to place 36th. Junior Amanda Randolph
opened with a 79 Monday but ran into trouble Tuesday with a 90, and
finished 41st with a 169 total. Freshman Brandy VanEtten
(83-89--172), also playing as an individual entry, was tied for
42nd place and freshman Katy Beth
Glover (88-87--175) tied for 46th place.
Memphis, led by medalist Melissa Steen's 143, posted a two-day
total of 592 to win the tournament. Louisiana-Monroe (613) finished
second, followed by Marshall (617), Austin Peay (620), Belmont
(630), UAB (631), West Florida (636) and Tech (656).