Oct. 5, 2014
Photo Gallery UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's golf team geared up to play Sunday morning in brisk and windy conditions. The Nittany Lions shot a two-over 291, the lowest team round of the tournament, to move up four places in the standings for a sixth place finish. Freshman Ariana Coyle Diez's (Mount Merrion, Ireland) bid to win the tournament as an individual fell just short as she finished the tournament tied for third with a four-over 220.
The Nittany Lions' 291 is the seventh lowest team total in Penn State history and is the program's lowest team score since a 287 at the Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate on October 14, 2012.
Senior Elyse Archambault (St-Jean-sur-Rich, Quebec) led the team with a one-under 71, which was tied for the third-lowest round of the day. Starting on the 12th hole in the shotgun start, Archambault came out strong with two birdies and seven pars in her opening nine. Archambault came in a tie for 28th place with a three-day total of 230 (+14).
Seniors Erin Michel (Mason, Ohio) and Catherine Herrera (Houston, Texas) both managed to shoot +1 (73) on the day to finish the tournament tie for 33rd and tied for 37th, respectively. Michel's three-day total was a 15-over 231, while Herrera shot 233 (+17) in the tournament. Junior Grace Chung (Richmond Hill, Texas) followed up yesterday's 73 with another solid effort with a two-over 74. She finished the tournament tied with Archambault for 28th place. Senior Katlyn Elliott (Peterborough, Ontario) rounded out the Penn State lineup by carding a five-over 77. She finished tied for 16th in the Nittany Lion invitational with a 227 (+11).
Coyle Diez, who was competing as an individual, played her last round +7 (79), but finished the tournament in a tie for third place with a four-over 220 in three rounds. Coyle Diez led the tournament through the first two days of play, but was beaten out on the final day by Kelsey Murphy of Eastern Michigan who shot a 68 (-4) and finished the tournament with a two-over 218 for medalist honors.
"I am just so proud of Ariana for stringing together a 68 and a 73 and leading this tournament by six shots," Penn State head coach Denise St. Pierre said. "Losing to a player who shot 68 today, that's not anything to be ashamed of."
Sophomores Kendall Allen (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Meaghan Coleman (The Woodlands, Texas) both played the tournament as individuals. Allen managed to finish the last round at +3 (75), placing 37th in the tournament, while Coleman finished +14 on the final day and came in 64th after three rounds.
Columbia pulled out the victory with a team total of 894 (+30), edging out fellow Ivy League team Yale by only one stroke and Harvard by three shots. Monique Ishikawa led Columbia on the final day, firing a 69 (-3) to finish second as an individual.
Penn State's next tournament will be the Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate. The tournament will take place from October 17-19 in Knoxville, Tennessee.