HOUSTON, Texas - The Saint Mary's golf team saw their season come to a close with a 22nd place finish at the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships on Thursday evening.

 

No. 1 ranked Emory continued to add to their lead as the Eagles posted their third-consecutive sub-300 score of the tournament with an NCAA Division III women's golf record 291. Emory has a three-round score of 879 and a 24-stroke lead going into Friday's finale. University of Redlands, who is tied for a No. 5 national ranking, moved up the leaderboard to second (903) with a 293. No. 4 ranked George Fox held their third place spot with a 297 (906). The Belles finished the tournament with a three-round score of 995 (337-320-338) as the field has now been narrowed down to the top 15 teams for the final day of competition.

 

Ellen Dong from Emory moved atop the leaderboard on the penultimate day of competition for the individual national championship with a 72 (215). Four players are tied with scores of 218 going into Friday's round while another four are tied with scores of 219 as the individual title is far from decided. 

 

Erin Bennett and Katherine Hopkins led the Belles on Thursday with matching scores of 82. Bennett had the strongest finish of the day for Saint Mary's as the junior posted an even-par 36 on the front nine as the team started the round on No. 10. Bennett had seven pars in the round and circled birdies on her scorecard on par four No. 1 and par five No. 7. She finished the tournament with a three-round total of 253 (t-111th) with 19 total pars and three birdies. Hopkins registered ten pars in the round and added a birdie on par four No. 17. She concluded the tournament with a three-round score of 253 (t-111th) with 20 pars and four birdies.

 

Sydney Hruskoci had a strong final nine holes of her career as the senior turned in a two-over par 38 on the front nine. She shot an 86 on the day and finished her third NCAA Tournament with a combined score of 245 over 54 holes of competition (t-86th) as the Belles' highest individual finisher at the event. The senior co-captain had ten pars on the day to finish the tournament with 25 total pars while adding four birdies.

 

Isa Patacsil and Haley Angel both shot rounds of 88 on Thursday for the Belles. Patacsil wrapped up her tournament efforts with five consecutive pars and concluded the round with ten total pars. She had a three-round total of 249 (1-100th) and collected a team-best 27 total pars with three birdies for the tournament. Angel tallied five pars and a birdie on par four No. 6 in her round. The sophomore finished the NCAA Championships with a combined 255 score (116th), 22 total pars, and two birdies.

 

The 2022 NCAA Division III Championships was the eleventh team appearance for the Saint Mary's golf team at the NCAA Tournament in program history.