[April 24, 2007]

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – West Florida easily won its second consecutive Gulf South Conference women’s golf championship at the 2007 Blue Cross Blue Shield/GSC Tournament at Hot Springs Country Club Sunday and Monday. Southern Arkansas, in the second year of its women’s golf program, placed eighth.

The Argonauts held a 25-stroke lead after the first day of play and extended that to 44 after the second round of play to finish with a two day total of 601 (297-304). Fifteen strokes separated the second through fourth-place teams as Arkansas Tech had a 645 (322-323) to take second, Henderson State shot 652 (327-325) for third, and West Georgia fired a 660 (336-324) for fourth. Harding (358-337, 695) was fifth, Montevallo (353-355, 708) was sixth, Christian Brothers shot 835 (409-426) for seventh, and following the Lady Muleriders (442-430, 872) in the final spot was Arkansas-Monticello (564-513, 1077).

UWF claimed the top three, and four of the five, individual spots with Sarah Nicholson shooting a two over par 146 (70-76) to claim the GSC Individual Champion award, headlining the five-member All-Tournament Team. Teammates’ Victoria Jackson was a six over par 150 (72-78) in finishing second, and Clara Fornella had a 151 (78-73) in placing third. West Georgia’s Amanda Horn broke the West Florida stranglehold by scoring a 152 (78-74) to claim fourth, and the Argonauts’ Natalia Espinoza shot 155 (77-78) to take fifth.

SAU’s Emily Poff broke into the top 20 by firing a team-high 171 (84-87) to tie at 19th. Teammate Tabatha Neely shot 213 (105-108) in placing 32nd. Others scoring for Southern Arkansas were Chelsea Roach (119-122, 241) at 37th and Julie Williams (134-113, 247) at 38th. Ashley Gillaspy had a two-day total of 265 (134-131) and was 40th.

UWF’s Espinoza was named the GSC Freshman of the Year as the tournament’s highest freshman finisher, and the Argonauts’ Robin Cook-Dezarn was the automatic GSC Coach of the Year honoree.

#SAU#