BirdieFire | SAC championship page
 
Anderson, S.C.----The No. 16 Wingate University women's golf team shot its best round of the week to finish second in the 2023 South Atlantic Conference tournament at the Cobbs Glen Country Club Tuesday. The Bulldogs recorded a 298 Tuesday for a 54-hole total of 899. No. 5 and tournament host Anderson won the SAC title for the second straight year with an 865.
 
Two Wingate student-athletes made the all-tournament team. Senior Hailey McLaughlin finished in fifth place at 220. She shot a 73 Tuesday. Freshman Thalia Perez Vieco tied for eighth place at 224 following her 76 Tuesday. Anderson freshman Kennedy Gooding led wire-to-wire, collecting medalist honors with her four-under-par 212.
 
Tournament Information
 
South Atlantic Conference women's golf championships (18/18/18)
Cobbs Glen Country Club (par 72, 5911 yards)
Anderson, S.C. (hosted by Anderson University)
 
Wingate Line-up
 
2-Wingate 300-301-298=899
5-Hailey McLaughlin, 74-73-73=220
T8-Thalia Perez Vieco, 74-74-76=224
T11-Mary Ma, 75-77-75=227
T14-Jess Brown, 77-77-74=228
T37-Marie Luise Schrader, 79-85-77=241
 
Wingate/Tournament notes
 
- Only three strokes separated Wingate's four counting scores Tuesday
- Four of five Bulldogs equaled or lowered their best SAC individual score in the third round
- McLaughlin played the par fives at minus-six (4.50), tied for best in the 60-person field
- As team, Wingate was second or third in five statistical categories
- The 'Dogs were tied for second on the par threes at plus-13 (3.22)
- Wingate was second on the par fours at plus-50 (4.33)
- The team's 35 birdies were second to Anderson's 40
- Wingate was third on the par fives at minus-three (4.95) and third in pars with 153
- Carson-Newman and Limestone finished third (905) and fourth (908), respectively
- Lincoln Memorial claimed fifth-place with its 54-hole score of 929
- Champ Anderson earns the SAC's automatic qualification to the NCAA tournament
- Wingate will learn its post-season fate May 1 when the NCAA announces its WGOLF field
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate head coach JD Lamm
 
"This was a great ball-striking week for our team. We struggled on the greens, but overall, I thought we played well. It is always nice to have your best team score on the final day."
 
"It is awesome to see Hailey and Thalia make the SAC all-tournament team. This is especially wonderful for Thalia to receive this recognition as a freshman. We are looking forward to seeing what the next three years hold for her."
 
"We have almost a month before we see the NCAA Super Regional brackets. In the meantime, we have identified the areas where we need to work. We will keep our fingers crossed, knowing we are right in the thick of things."
 
Wingate senior student-athlete Hailey McLaughlin
 
"I think this is a good way to end our main season. Coming in second behind Anderson, fifth individually and Thalia finishing tied for eighth as a freshman, I couldn't be any prouder of how this team grinded to the end. I'm also happy that I was able to play well and consistently this week and that my putter was cooperating. Hopefully, this result is enough to continue our season and bring us to regionals as a team."
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 38 undergraduate majors as well as seven master's and four doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; the Thayer School of Education; and the School of Sport Sciences. 
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 14 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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