Women's Golf Finishes Eighth at Pinehurst Challenge

Monday, March 19

Pinehurst, N.C.

All Day

James Madison University

Pinehurst Challenge

3/21/2012 3:17:00 AM | Women's Golf

Results

PINEHURST, N.C. - Moving up three places in the final round, the James Madison women's golf team finished eighth at the 2012 Pinehurst Challenge, March 19-20. Hosted by College of Charleston, the two-day, 54-hole event was played at Pinehurst Resort #6 (Par 72-5,983 yards) in Pinehurst, N.C.

After lightning and thunderstorm delays hampered the last day, JMU put together another solid round, posting the fourth-best final round with a 9-over 297 for its second straight sub-300 score to finish at 39-over 903 for the tournament. The 297 tied for the fifth-lowest 18-hole team score this season. NC State led wire-to-wire in the tournament, shooting 6-over 294 in the final round to finish at 1-over 865, 17 shots ahead of runner-up Maryland and 18 shots better than Old Dominion in third. East Carolina finished fourth at 23-over 887, with UNCW and Penn State tied for fifth at 28-over 892.

Senior Nicole Sakamoto (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani) was the top Duke, shooting her second straight under-par round with a 2-under 70 to finish at 2-over 218 in a tie for seventh. The finish was her fourth top-10 placing of the 2010-11 season, while her 218 total was the top individual 54-hole score for JMU on the year. Sophomore Ginger Mak (North Point, Hong Kong/The International School of Macao) had her third consecutive top-20 finish with a tie for 17th at 7-over 223.

Freshman Maria Andrea Legaspi (Quezon City, Phillipines/St. Paul College-Pasig) shot her second 3-over 75 in a row at the tournament and tied for 56th at 17-over 233. Freshman Nikola Wessels (Muenster, Germany/Marlenschule Muenster) totaled a career-best 2-over 74 in the final round and tied for 70th at a personal season-best 23-over 239, with senior Valentina Sanmiguel (Bogota, Colombia/Gimasio La Montana) rounding out the JMU effort in a tie for 73rd at 24-over 240. NC State's Brittany Marchand shot a final-round low 4-under 68 to take home medalist honors at 5-under 211. ODU's Elizabeth Haycock and second-round leader Vivian Tsui of NC State tied for second two shots back of Marchand at 3-under 213.

The Dukes will next be in action this weekend Sat.-Sun., March 24-25 at the UNCW Lady Seahawk Invitational. The two-day, 54-hole tournament will be played at River Landing Golf Club in Wallace, N.C.