By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. – The Tennessee Tech women's golf team finished the first round of action at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships Sunday afternoon, competing at the Highlands Course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove.
The Golden Eagles wrapped up their first 18 holes of play with a 308, sitting seventh overall and just seven shots back of second place. Leading the way on the first day was Jacksonville State, firing a 292 to lead the field by nine strokes. The Gamecocks' Ana Perez Altuna led the way individually, posting a 1-under 71.
Just shots behind the top spot was Golden Eagle Heidi Lawson, who paced the purple and gold with a 1-over 73. The junior tied for fifth among the field of 40 golfers and registered four birdies on the day.
Tying each other for 23rd were Arianna Clemmer and Ainsley Simms. A redshirt senior, Clemmer carded a 78 with a pair of birdies and eight pars on the front nine alone. Simms, a freshman, also put together a 78, capturing a trio of birdies.
Coming in just one stroke behind her teammates was senior Hannah Bratton with a 79. She tied for 28th overall and tallied a couple of birdies. Rounding out the Tech lineup, sophomore Elisabeth Toennessen concluded her first day of play with an 81 and a pair of birdies.
Round two of the OVC Championships are slated to begin with tee times starting at 8:00 a.m. CT.
| Top 5 Teams: | ||||||
| 1. | Jacksonville State | 292 | +4 | |||
| T-2. | Eastern Kentucky | 301 | +13 | |||
| T-2. | Belmont | 301 | +13 | |||
| 4. | Murray State | 303 | +15 | |||
| 5. | Austin Peay | 304 | +16 | |||
| 7. | Tennessee Tech | 308 | +20 | |||
| Leaderboard (40 Golfers) | ||||||
| 1. | Ana Perez Altuna (Jacksonville State) | 71 | -1 | |||
| T-5. | Heidi Lawson | 73 | +1 | |||
| T-23. | Arianna Clemmer | 78 | +6 | |||
| T-23. | Ainsley Simms | 78 | +6 | |||
| T-28. | Hannah Bratton | 79 | +7 | |||
| 31. | Elisabeth Toennessen | 81 | +9 | |||
File photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information