Columbus, OH. - After rain interrupted the first round of the Capitol Fall Classic for Morgan's Message, The Wheeling University Women's Golf team returned to the course to finish round one and play the second round of the event on day two on Monday. It was a big day for the Cardinals, as they dropped their round one score by 13 strokes and took second place in the event. Senior
Zoila Herrera was the only one who did not complete round one on the first day and played her final hole while the rest of the team played 18 to wrap up the day.
It would be Herrera's second round effort that led the Cardinals as she set a new PR over the final 18 holes. After shooting a 90 on the first 18 holes, Herrera was able to drop 12 strokes off her score to set the new Collegiate PR. Her 78 was the third lowest score of the round, finishing behind Ohio Northern's Grace Honigford and Marissa Alfes. It was a strong showing on the front nine in the second round that got Herrera started and she was able to carry that momentum with her to the back nine to complete the day. So far during the fall season, Herrera has an average round score of 84.75 and looks to build off her round two momentum as she prepares for the 2023 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championships next week.
The other big PR of the event came in the first round on Sunday when Junior
Nicole Lincicome got the tournament started with a bang. She set a new PR by five strokes, finishing with a 75 in the round. She finished six stroke shy of the single round record for the Wheeling Women's Golf Program of 69 held by former Cardinal
Emily Holzopfel. Lincicome came back on day two to shoot right around her average so far for the fall season, putting up and 81 to finish with a two round score of 156. The effort was enough to earn her third place at the tournament, her highest individual finish of her career so far. She enters the MEC Championships with a single round average of 81.37, and has shot a sub 80 score in two of her 8 rounds played throughout the season.
Rounding out the Cardinals lineup where a pair of sophomores in
Marra Johnson and
Ella Keffer. Johnson was the second Cardinal to shoot a sub 80 score in round two, tying her collegiate PR with a 79 over the Final 18 holes. Coupling that with her 81 through the first 18 holes gives her a 2-day score of 160 as she finished tied for fourth In the field. It was the third time this season that Johnson earned a top 10 finish in four tournaments as she chases down her first All-MEC honor of her career. Sophomore
Ella Keffer capped off the afternoon with a PR effort of her own in the second round. She shot a career best 80 over the final 18 holes, and added an 85 on day one to bring her two-day score to 165. It was a strong showing in the final tune-up for the Wheeling Women's Golf team has they headed to the championships with confidence on their side.
The Wheeling University Women's Golf team returns to action on Monday, October 2nd, when they play round one of the 2023 MEC Championships.
