The Gannon University women’s golf team took home the 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship trophy over the weekend.
This is Gannon’s fourth PSAC Championship and first since 2016.
This year’s PSAC Tournament was held at the Hershey Country Club in Hershey Friday through Sunday.
The Knights’ three rounds consisted of scores of 324, 317, and 321 with a final score of 962 to finish 24 strokes ahead of second-place finisher Mercyhurst.
The rival Lakers led after the opening day of competition, shooting a 322 to the Knights’ 324. It was on the second day that Gannon took the lead, improving its first-round score by seven strokes while Mercyhurst shot 325.
The Knights closed out the victory by shooting 321 on the final day while Mercyhurst ballooned to a 339 to finish at 986.
Carley Sawyer was Gannon’s highest individual finisher, tying for third place with a score of 80-80-80, to finish at 240.
Sawyer said her team’s determination played a big part in the championship performance.
“I think the best part about my team is that we aren’t discouraged easily,” she said. “We were actually losing after Day 1, but all of us wanted it so bad for each other that it made us focus a lot more the next day.
“Even the last day there was some pretty bad weather and I’m very proud of how my team played because we posted a lot of good scores that day, which showed how much we wanted it.”
Gannon’s Alyssa Drehs tied for fifth (81-85-76-242), moving up five spots on Sunday’s final round to wind up in her fifth-place tie.
The Knights’ Rebecca Red Horse took eighth place (80-78-89-247), Maria Arenas took ninth (92-78-78-248) and Samantha Gaffney finished 10th (83-84-84-251).
While the Gannon women were able to bring home a PSAC title, the Knight men wound up in a tie for third place with Millersville with a score of 320-302-306-928.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania won the team title with a score of 905, 13 strokes in front of West Chester, which finished at 918.
Last year, the Knights took fourth place at the competition.
The top scorer for the men was Abe Holmes, who notched an eighth-place finish with a score of 78-75-76-229.
Connor Bennink finished ninth, scoring 79-76-75-230.
Gannon’s other finishers were Clayton Skoff, who tied for 13th (81-75-78-234); Ethan Bennett, who tied for 22nd (82-78-77-237); and Jacob Mertz, who tied for 27th (82-76-80-238).
SARAH MCLAUGHLIN
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