By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Maddi Everts has been here before. Three times, in fact.
So, tough playing conditions Sunday didn't deter the Tennessee Tech senior in the opening round of the fourth annual Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate on the Highlands Course of the Sevierville Golf Club.
The senior from Ooltewah, Tenn., playing in the event for the fourth time, led the Golden Eagle women's team with a 77 Sunday, placing in a tie for seventh individually, and helping coach Polk Brown's squad finish the afternoon tied for third place in the 12-team field.
Southern Mississippi grabbed a solid, 10-shot lead Sunday with a 305 team total, while six teams are packed pretty close between second and seventh place with two rounds remaining.
Youngstown State is second at 315, followed by Tech and UNC Greensboro at 316. Austin Peay and Oakland are tied for fifth, six shots back at 322, followed by Florida Atlantic in seventh at 324.
Rounding out the field are Western Kentucky (329), Evansville and Carson-Newman (333) tied for ninth, Radford (342) and Tennessee State (355).
Devon Spriddle of Southern Mississippi claimed the individual lead through one round with an even-par 72, two strokes better than Youngstown State's Emily Dixon at 74.
Everts, who finished second in the inaugural Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate in 2013, is in a four-way tie for seventh place at 77, while junior Whitney Robertson (in photo) is right behind, in a tie for 11th place at 78. Freshman Hollee Sadler (80) is tied for 16th place, followed on the Tech scorecard by sophomore Allyson Dunn (81) and senior Megan Williamson (84).
Tech also has four players competing as individuals, with freshman Lindsay Miller leading the group with an 80 for 16th place. Haley Davidson shot an 82, Lydia Triplett an 88 and Anna Cunningham a 97.
Because tourney and course officials expect to be greeted by frost on the course in the morning, the proposed 8:30 a.m. starting time will be moved back to a shotgun start at 12 noon.
