HOUSTON, Texas - The Saint Mary's golf team took 17 strokes off of their day-one score and posted a 320 on day two of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships at Bay Oak Country Club on Wednesday.

 

No. 1 ranked Emory continues to lead the race for the team title as the Eagles shot a 296 to build a 14-stroke lead (588) over the field. No. 7 ranked Pomona-Pitzer moved up two spots on the leaderboard behind a 299 to sit in second (602). No. 4 ranked George Fox made a big leap in the team standings with a five-place shift upward with a 304 on Wednesday to hold third (609).

 

The individual leaderboard also saw a lot of movement on day two. Aliea Clark from New York University shot a one-under par 71 to move into the top spot (142) in the race for the individual national championship. Ellen Dong from Emory used a 68 to move 13 spots up the scoreboard into second place (143) through 36 holes. Five strokes separate the top 15 individual golfers in the field.

 

The Belles are in the top half of the field in both par five scoring average (5.30) and total birdies (12) after two rounds of competition. Saint Mary's is one stroke back of 20th place Rose-Hulman and seven strokes behind 18th place Carthage.

 

Sydney Hruskoci led the way for Saint Mary's on day two as the senior co-captain shot a 77 to move up to 24 spots into a tie for 61st (82-77—159) place in the overall standings. The 77 matched Hruskoci's best round at Bay Oaks Country Club as she turned in a 77 on day three of the 2019 NCAA Division III Championships at the same course. She went 38-39 in the round with 11 pars, a birdie on her final hole of the day - par four No. 18, and did not have a score above a bogey on the day.

 

Haley Angel shaved nine strokes off of her day-one scorecard as the sophomore shot a 79 on Wednesday to climb 18 spots into a tie for 101st overall (88-79—167). Angel collected nine pars and had a birdie on par four No. 10 after making the turn. She also did not have a score above a bogey in a 40-39 effort. 

 

Isa Patacsil carded an 81 while matching both Hruskoci and Angel on the back nine with a 39 after making the turn. The junior rallied and was three-over par over the final 15 holes of play. Patacsil had a birdie on par five No. 5 and had ten pars in the round. She currently is tied for 75th with a 161 through 36 holes of play.

 

Katherine Hopkins posted an 83 and is tied for 115th overall with a two-day score of 171. She had a team-best two birdies on Wednesday after circling scores on par five No. 5 and par four No. 15. Hopkins also tallied six pars in the second round of the tournament.

 

Erin Bennett shot an 84 and holds a share of 115th place with a combined total of 171. The junior co-captain had the second-best front-nine showing for the team on Wednesday with a three-over effort. Bennett had a birdie on par four No. 2 and collected six pars.

 

Day three of the NCAA Division III Championships will tee off at 1:30 p.m. CDT for the Belles on Thursday at Bay Oaks Country Club. Saint Mary's will begin their round on the back nine on day three. The field will be pared down to the top 15 teams in the overall standings after Thursday's round.