Shannon Rogers '04 continued her steady play from last week to pace the Dartmouth women's golf team to a 3rd place finish at the Mount Holyoke Invitational at South Hadley, MA, which took place this past weekend. Rogers shot a final Sunday round of 82 to finish with a tournament total of 165 (83+82) and finished 4th out of all 98 individual golfers.
The individual medalist was Colleen McDonnell of Central Connecticut, who finished with a weekend total of 161 (81+80). Twenty teams competed in the tournament, which was won by Central Connecticut (662), a single shot ahead of Methodist College. Dartmouth finished with a total of 678.
Dartmouth was also powered by performances from junior captain Vivian Lee, who was tied for the first-day lead with an 81 and finished with a two-day total of 169 (81+88). Nellie Jeon '02 shot her career low single round on Sunday with an 85 and finished with a total of (87+85), and sophomore Kathy Birchall finished with a 173 (87+86). Sophomore Allison Bergen, in her first tournament, shot a final of 178 (91+87).
Next week, the team travels to Northern Illinois to compete in the Husker Classic. Lee remarked, "As a team we're getting better with every tournament, and I think we have a good chance in the tournament, but it's a new course that we've never played. Our swings are looking good, so its just a matter of breaking out."
After the Husker Classic, the Big Green is intensely focused on the ECAC Championships which are fast approaching, only three weeks away.
"[The ECACs have] a lot of competition, but I feel that we can play well," Lee noted.
The team has had troubles getting in practice time with the cold and rainy weather and the limited conditions at Hanover Country Club.
"It's hard to play because of the weather and the lack of courses, but Coach is happy with our progress," Lee added.
The Big Green got off to a great start earlier in the season when Birchall played a pair of sensational rounds to take home first place in the Yale Fall Golf Invitational two weekends ago. Birchall put together a 158 score on rounds of 78 and 80.
Lee and Rogers also turned in solid performances at Yale to bolster the team's confidence. Lee put together a 168 on successive rounds of 84 while Rogers opened up with an 84 as well before closing 87-171.
