Feb. 13, 2012
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By Eric DeSalvo
UCFAthletics.com
SORRENTO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - It was a historic afternoon for the UCF women's golf team as it shot a six-under 282 for the lowest round in school history on the second day of the UCF Challenge from RedTail Golf Club. Ironically, it was a year ago to the day that the Knights compiled what was then a school record 286 at their home tournament.
UCF, led by its record-setting performance, shot the lowest round of the day and moved up the leaderboard from eighth to fourth overall. Auburn and Baylor are tied for the lead at seven-under heading into the third and final round.
Head coach Courtney Trimble is proud of her young squad for bouncing back with a 17-stroke swing in their favor.
"They felt like they left a lot out there yesterday," Trimble said. "We knew we didn't hurt ourselves, but we knew we could've done better. So today they were eager to come out and make some putts. They got off to a good start and kept it going. I couldn't be more proud of all of them. It was a team effort and they did a great job. That's what they are capable of doing."
With three freshmen in the scoring five, Trimble's squad has played with great poise all season. In the fall, the Knights scored a win at the Lady Northern Invite and a runner-up finish at the Bettie Lou Evans Invite and have benefited from a semester of competition.
"They have a semester under their belt and now they know what to expect," Trimble added. "They are on a golf course that we are familiar with at home, so I think that plays a role. Having a semester with four freshmen-- that experience under your belt makes a huge difference. Now they know exactly what it's like and what it takes to be successful."
Despite Sunday's five-over 77, rookie Monifa Sealy (Glencoe, Trinidad & Tobago) roared out of the gates to secure a team-best four-under 68 in the second round. Tied for 13th overall, Sealy was able to card five birdies on the day to only one bogey.
Fellow freshman Katie Mitchell (Fernandina Beach, Fla.) also bounced back in round two, carding birdies on 16 and 17 to finish the round three under (69) and a team-leading even par (144) for the tournament. She will start the third round in a tie for seventh overall.
The third rookie in the trio, Robyn Doig (Seaforth, Ontario), also finished the day in the red after carding a one-under 71. She racked up four birdies, and is in a tie with teammate Kaitlyn Price (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) for 21st overall. Price carded a two-over 74, and closed the day with a birdie on 18 after an impressive second shot left her only a few feet from the tin.
Rounding out the top five for the Knights was junior Carolin Pinegger (Marquartstein, Germany) who carded a four-over 76 to place her in a tie for 43rd.
Junior Valentina Fontaine (Santiago, Chile) continued her strong showing as an individual Monday after shooting par (72). She is tied for 23rd heading into the final day.
The final round from RedTail will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. Live stats from the tournament can be viewed at www.Golfstat.com
UCF Individual Scores
T7 Katie Mitchell 75-69=144 (E)
T13 Monifa Sealy 77-68=145 (+1)
T21 Kaitlyn Price 72-74=146 (+2)
T21 Robyn Doig 75-71=146 (+2)
T43 Carolin Pinegger 73-76=149 (+5)
*T23 Valentina Fontaine 75-72=147 (+3)
*T89 Jordyn Hage 78-81=159 (+15)
*T91 Heather Proctor 77-83=160 (+16)
Team Scores
T1 Auburn 285-284=569 (-7)
T1 Baylor 284-285=569 (-7)
3 Tulane 287-289=576 (E)
4 UCF 295-282=577 (+1)
5 Augusta State 286-293=579 (+2)