WOMEN'S GOLF FINISHES SECOND IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Saturday, March 13

Hilton Head Island, S.C.

TBA

James Madison University

LOW COUNTRY INTERCOLLEGIATE

3/14/2010 7:00:00 PM | Women's Golf

HILTON HEAD, S.C., March 14, 2010 - The James Madison women's golf carded a 309, the lowest round of the day, to finish second in the Low Country Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, S.C. on Sunday. The Dukes placed four golfers in top 15, including two in the top three, at the par-72, 5,814-yard, South Course at the Moss Creek Golf Club.

JMU shot back-to-back 309's to finish with a 618, two strokes back of tournament champion Western Carolina.

Junior Mary Chamberlain (Dennis, Mass./Suffield Academy) recorded her fourth straight top 15 finish and her third top 10 in her last four appearances with a tie for third. Chamberlain carded 76-75=151. Sophomore Nicole Sakamoto (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani) tied the tournament-low round with a 74 on Sunday to tie Chamberlain for third. The Hawaii-native finished with a 77-74=151.

Juniors Laura Mesa (Manizales, Colombia/Colegio Granadino) and Catrin Gunnarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden/Sanda Gymnasiet) tied for 14th after each carded a 78-80=158. Sophomore Valentina Sanmiguel (Bogota, Colombia/Gimasio la Montaña) rounded out the JMU five-player team in a tie for 56th after firing an 87-84=171.

Defending champion Western Carolina led from start to finish, carding a 304-312=616 to claim the team title. Augusta State (309-310=619) finished one stroke behind JMU in third, followed by Jacksonville in fourth (309-316=625). Richmond rounded out the top five with a 315-320=635.

Augusta State's Natalie Willie beat Richmond's Jillian Fraccola in a playoff to claim the individual championship. Both players carded 5-over-par 149s to edge out a four-way tie for third between Chamberlain, Sakamoto, Wofford's Alex Rankin (77-74=151) and Western Carolina's Blaire Minter (74-77=151).

JMU returns to the course next week at the Pinehurst Challenge in Pinehurst, N.C. beginning Monday, March 22.