MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women's golf team posted its best round of the tournament on Tuesday to wrap up play, but it wasn't enough for the Golden Eagles to make a move in the final round of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Invitational at the Old Fort Golf Course.
Despite posting a 301 on a sunny, breezy day at the 6,369-yard, par 72 layout, Tech couldn't make up any ground in the 17-team field.
Middle Tennessee, which opened the day with a comfortable, 29-shot lead, closed with a 293 to win the title handily at 883. Troy finished with the best round of the afternoon, 289, to jump into second place at 912, while Eastern Michigan managed a 293 for third place at 922..
The Golden Eagles maintained their hold on fourth place, slipping ahead of Western Kentucky with a 926. The Hilltoppers shot a 308 Tuesday dropping from second place Monday to fifth place with a 927.
Golden Eagle junior Whitney Robertson carded a final round 73 Tuesday, matching Allyson Dunn's first round score as the lowest 18-hole tally of the tournament for the Golden Eagles. Robertson's finish pushed her into a tie for 14th place individually at 229 to lead Tech. She shot rounds of 75 and 81 Monday.
Senior Maddi Everts rebounded from her first round 81 with a 75 to close play Monday, then was one of three Tech players to shoot 76 Tuesday for a 233 total, placing in a tie for 23rd.
Dunn had to overcome several hazards on Tuesday, and followed her Monday scores of 73 and 79 with a final round 83, dropping her into a tie for 31st place at 235.
Like Everts, senior Megan Williamson also closed with a 76 Tuesday, after scoring 79 and 81 Monday, and tied for 36th place at 236. Freshman Hollee Sadler was the third Golden Eagle to card a 76 on Tuesday, after posting marks of 84 and 83 Monday, and tied for 61st place at 243.
Junior Lydia Triplett played in the tournament as an individual, tying for 76th place with scores of 83-81-85 for a 249.
Three Arkansas schools led the second group in the standings, with Little Rock (933) sixth, Central Arkansas (937) seventh and Arkansas State (944) eighth. Murray State (944), which was the highest OVC team in the standings behind Tech, tied for eighth. UMKC rounded out the Top 10 at 945.
A pair of OVC schools led the next five, with Jacksonville (947) placing 11th and Austin Peay (948) 12th . That pair was followed by Boston College (952) and UTEP (952), in a tie for 13th. South Alabama (954), Belmont (983) and UT Rio Grande Valley (1,005) completed the field.
Middle Tennessee registered three of the top four individual scores, led by medalist Avery George with a 71-69-78—218 total, giving her a four-shot edge on Troy's Fatima Cano.
The Tech women have one tournament remaining in the fall schedule, heading to Gulf Shores, Ala., for the UAB Fall Beach Blast, Nov. 2-3.
