Despite not moving up the leaderboards during the final day of competition at The Preview in Fishers, Ind., Ohio finished in sixth place, which was their best finish in the annual event since 2010.
The Bobcats finished with a two-round score of 641 strokes for 65-over-par, but finished five spots better than during last year’s competition.
The 16-team tournament was won by Toledo, which finished with a combined score of 611 for 35-over-par at the end of the two days, including a score of 307 during the second day.
“I’m happy with the performance of the team,” coach Kelly Ovington said. “Our goal was to get into the top six, and we did that. The scores were high despite the fact that the course conditions were tough.”
The top individual performance by the Bobcats came from senior Kristen Helmsdoerfer, who dropped from eighth-place after day one to finish, tied for 11th with a score of 12-over-par.
Climbing the leaderboard after day one was freshman Hailey Hrynewich, who finished day one tied for 51st, but then solidified 22nd place after firing a four-over-par 76 on Tuesday. Senior Kara Brinkmann tied with Hrynewich for 22nd, along with four other competitors.
Ball State, which hosted the tournament at Hawthorns Golf and Country Club, finished in second place with a score of 618 for 42-over-par.
Individually Ball State’s Jenna Hague finished as the champion, as she combined for a score of 147 for three-over par. She also tied the Mid-American Conference record for career victories, as she has won six of her 28 tournaments
Toledo’s Manisa Isavas finished as the runner-up with a score of five-over-par for the tournament.
Ohio’s next tournament will be the Rocket Classic from Oct. 14-15, which will take place at the Catawba Island Club in Port Clinton to conclude the fall season for the Bobcats.
“Golf is all about gaining confidence from shots,” Helmsdoerfer said. “We can use a lot of positives from this tournament for next week. Every tournament is different. You build on past successes to create future successes.”
ks363012@ohiou.edu
