Thursday, February 2, 2006

 

TUSCULUM HOSTS KIAWAH ISLAND WOMEN'S GOLF INTERCOLLEGIATE

THIS WEEKEND

 

            KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. --- Eighteen college golf teams, including four squads ranked in the top 15 in NCAA Division women's golf, the Tusculum College Pioneers will host the fourth annual Tusculum/Kiawah Island Women's Intercollegiate this weekend in South Carolina.  Eleven teams ranked in the top 50 in the country, according to Golfstat's Division II head-to-head standings, will be featured at the two-day, 36-hole tournament.  The event is being held at the par 72, 5,800-yard Cougar Point Golf club at Kiawah Island.

 

            The University of Central Arkansas, ranked No. 11 in NCAA II, returns to defend its title.  The Sugar bears placed four players in the top 10 last year to win by nine shots.  UCA is led by Christina Lecuyer, who finished tied for fifth.

 

            Looking to unseat Central Arkansas is seventh-ranked Grand Valley State University.  The Lakers finished fourth at last year's event and are led by Enid Gage and Kristi Vienneau, who finished 19th and 21st, respectively in last season's tournament. GVSU competed in six fall events, winning two tournaments and recording a pair of runner-up finishes.

 

            Nova Southeastern University is also back after finishing third at last year's event.  NSU finished ranked No. 5 in the country in the final 2004-05 standings and place second and third in its two fall tournaments this year.

 

            Pfeiffer University is ranked 12th in the country and will look to improve upon last season's sixth place showing at Kiawah.

 

            The host Pioneers, ranked 45th in NCAA II, are led by two-time All-South Atlantic Conference junior Amanda Bowen.  Bowen leads the Pioneers with an 80.78 scoring average and has recorded a pair of top 15 performances in the fall.  Junior Shannon Palenkas, a 2005 All-SAC First Team selection, is second on the team with a stroke average of 81.67.  Palenkas has also posted two top 15 showings this year.

 

            SAC members Catawba College (No. 33), Wingate University (No. 34) and Lenoir-Rhyne College (No. 39) return.  Catawba, led by three-time SAC Player of the Year Paige Haverty, will be looking to challenge for the title.  Wingate has accounted for three top 10 outings, including a pair of top three performances.  Lenoir-Rhyne won the inaugural Kiawah Intercollegiate in 2003 and has its eye upon improving on last season's fifth-place showing.

 

            The tournament field also includes Limestone College, USC Upstate, Belmont Abbey College, Ashland University, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, Lincoln Memorial University, Florida Tech, Mount Olive College, Anderson College and Queens University of Charlotte.

 

            Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference, which is comprised of eight colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

 

- TC -