Ephs in 10th after Round 2 of NCAA Championships
Kait O'Brien '10
WAVERLY, IA. — Juniors Melissa Barton and Laura Koplik fired matching 79s Wednesday as the Williams College women's golf team posted its best round of the 2007-08 season (323) at the NCAA Div. III Championships at the Centennial Oaks Golf Club.
Williams is 10th out of 20 teams with a two-day total of 649.
But the big news from Waverly was the Ephs' round of 323, bettering the 326 they shot in Tuesday's first round and back on Sept. 23 at the Mount Holyoke Tournament.
"It was a solid team effort," Ephs co-head coach Kris Herman said. "We had three of our five players have better rounds than yesterday. We're learning the golf course better, as is every team, but there is a lot of golf left. We'll try to keep battling — if we can shave 2-3 strokes off our score every day, we'll be in great shape."
Both Koplik and Barton led the team with seven-over 79s on the par-72, 5,886-yard course. Koplik had 11 pars on the day and one birdie, it coming on the par-five third hole. Barton had 10 pars on the day and a one birdie, it coming on the par-five sixth hole. Barton drained a 37-foot putt to earn the birdie.
O'Brien had a lot to celebrate Wednesday as well as she finished round two with a 10-over 82. O'Brien put together a solid round with nine pars and eight bogeys. Her fellow sophomore Anne O'Leary, had a tougher day, finishing with an 11-over 83, but still managed six pars and two birdies on the day. She birdied the par-four 1st hole, and also the par-three 5th hole and has a two day total over 16-over 160 — tied with Barton for the top score on the team.
First-year Lauren Anstey finished round two with a round of 95.
