WELLSELY, MA – The Ephs shoot a season best 307 to win the Ann S. Batchelder Invitational and finish their fall season undefeated for the second consecutive season.
Merrimack College chased closely behind, shooting an impressive 314 on day two, but they were no match for the Ephs who extended their lead on day two to win by 13 strokes. Williams finished with a two day total of 623, followed by Merrimack who posted a 636, and Vassar and Amherst tied for third with identical 343-329 for totals of 672.
Junior Georgiana Salant once again led the Ephs to victory. Salant shot even par 72 to capture her third consecutive individual title this season. She beat out Mount Holyoke's Madi Mendiola by four strokes. Two other Ephs shot in the seventies on day two; senior Victoria Student and sophomore Shelby Shote shot 77 and 78, respectively. Sophomore Paige Whidbee continued her solid play and posted the final score to count, an 80. Fellow sophomore Maggie Mitts struggled, posting a 92.
According to head coach Erika DeSanty, "This was a great way for us to end our fall." While the team won every tournament they played in this fall, the team was pushing for lower scores – 315 or better – because these are the kind of scores needed to contend for a national title. The team's 307 marks their first score sub-310 this season and was an important milestone and a confidence booster going into the off season. As senior captain Victoria Student says, "We are all very happy with the way we played today. It all came together."
The Ephs finish their fall campaign 59-0. They also had an individual winner in four of the five tournaments they competed in. The Ephs battled tough weather conditions to post a scoring average of 319.
The women's golf team had another solid fall season and look forward to working hard in the off-season to continue to improve in the hopes of being a top team at the national championship in the spring.
