April 20, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (UCFAthletics.com) - Senior Victoria Tomko (Lontzen, Belgium) had a hole-in-one on the third to last hole of a round of 70 (-1) to cap her day in style and highlight the UCF women's golf team's efforts in Tuesday's final round of the 2010 Conference USA Championship. The event was hosted by Southern Miss at the par-71, 6,144-yard Cranebreak Golf Club in Hattiesburg, Miss.
UCF improved each round of the event and today's 300 left the team with a total of 911 over the event's 54 holes to place the Knights eighth in the conference. There was no drama atop the leaderboard as Tulane shot an 858 to claim the conference title by 14 strokes over second-place East Carolina.
Tomko's score of 70 was the third-lowest in the field on Tuesday and, after shooting an opening round 83, helped bring around a tremendous close to her tournament along with the 73 she shot on Monday. Her 226 for the event was second amongst UCF shooters and tied for 22nd overall.
Her conquest of the seventh hole today was a microcosm of her ever-improving weekend of play. Tomko double-bogeyed the par-three 162-yard hole on both Sunday and Monday but, in her final crack on Tuesday, dropped her tee shot right into the cup. Tomko, who started the round on the 10th hole, then made a birdie on the par-four eighth hole and pared the ninth to close her round on a great note.
The future is strong for the Knights and evidence of that is the even-par 71 turned in today by freshman Carolin Pinegger (Marquartstein, Germany). Pinegger tied for fourth in the field today and 15th in the event overall, leading all Knights with a 223. Pinegger had three birdies in a steady round today and was never more than one stroke above or below par at any point in her round.
In eight of UCF's 11 outings this year the team's top scorer has been either Pinegger or fellow freshman Valentina Fontaine (Santiago, Chile). A week after topping UCF and placing 14th overall at the SunTrust Gator Women's Invitational, Pinegger now boasts two straight events atop UCF's leaderboard.
Junior Katie Detlefsen (Eagan, Minn.) was third for UCF with a 228, highlighted by an eagle on the 488-yard par-five fifth hole. Detlefsen's eagle on five and Tomko's ace on seven were the only two eagles in the entire field on Tuesday.
Fontaine ended the event with a 234 while sophomore Elisa Aoki (Bradenton, Fla.) was fifth for UCF with her 245.
The Knights will await word from the NCAA selection committee next week on a potential bid to the NCAA Regionals, a stage that UCF has reached in each of the past two years. Last spring, Stephanie Connelly advanced on to nationals as an individual where she placed 11th.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP
CRANEBREAK GOLF CLUB * HATTIESBURG, MISS.
FINAL RESULTS * PAR 71 * 6,144 YARDS
TOP TEAM FINISHERS
1. Tulane 290-283-285=858 (+6)
2. East Carolina 296-288-288=872 (+20)
3. Tulsa 297-300-292=889 (+37)
4. Memphis 295-298-302=895 (+43)
5. SMU 306-291-300=897 (+45)
...
8. UCF 310-301-300=911 (+59)
UCF SCORERS
T12. Carolin Pinegger 76-76-71=223 (+10)
T22. Victoria Tomko 83-73-70=226 (+13)
T25. Katie Detlefsen 72-76-80=228 (+15)
36. Valentina Fontaine 79-76-79=234 (+21)
46. Elisa Aoki 85-79-81=245 (+32)