The N.C. State women’s golf team wrapped up its season Friday with a 10th-place finish in the NCAA National Championships, the best result in program history.
“It was great to have their hard work and their effort being showcased,” head coach Page Marsh said.
The Wolfpack entered the four-day event coming off its best team round of the 2014 season. On May 10, in the final day of the NCAA Regional Championships, three of the State golfers recorded scores of 69 to boost the Pack to tie for third place and a berth to its second appearance at Nationals in three years.
However, the momentum gained by the State team’s success at Regionals was lost once Nationals began. The Pack golfers struggled heavily in their first day in Tulsa, Okla. as the team shot for a combined score of +27. The rocky start placed the Pack in 23rd out of 24 teams heading into the second day of competition.
“I think we had a solid start. We left a few out there on the back, but it’s a four-day event,” Marsh said. “I reminded them it’s a marathon, not a sprint. We always have good finishes. We’re known for that.”
Junior Augusta James did manage to maintain her stellar performance on the first day, shooting a 74 (+4) to tie for 28th overall. At Regionals, James finished with a score of -5, tied for fourth place in the competition.
The fall to the back end of the standings proved to be the wake-up call the Pack desperately needed. The State team came out firing on all cylinders on the second day of competition, shooting the second-best team score of the day at +4 and tying the team at 13th in the event.
“I was really proud of them today. They really came back and fought hard and played with a lot of determination,” Marsh said. “Today, they were really steady and determined. I still think about things as a four-day event. You break that down shot-by-shot; it’s very methodical.”
Individually, James and junior Lindsay McGetrick each shot an even par to lead their team. McGetrick sank five birdies on the day, improving her first day’s score by eight strokes.
State’s early start at 9:36 a.m. on the second day of competition proved to work in the team’s favor. The calm morning breeze proved to be much more favorable than the 30 mile-per-hour gusts that the team had to endure during its afternoon tee time on the first day.
“It’s always nice to tee off early, especially here in Oklahoma,” senior Ava Menendez said after the second day. “Today we felt a huge difference from yesterday. Not trying to control the wind, but playing with it, was a better mindset for me.”
The Pack had an early start on the third day as well, starting the day at 9:25 a.m., and once again, the team delivered. The team walked to the clubhouse at the end of the day with its best result of the 2014 season, shooting a combined score of even par.
“We have made aggressive moves forward as a team,” James said. “We’ve improved each day, and that’s important.”
James stepped up once again to lead the Pack with a 67 (-3), lifting herself to sixth overall in the individual standings. The junior sank four birdies on the day.
“I was happy to be pretty steady today,” James said. “To eliminate the double that I had in the first round the last couple days has helped. It’s not as easy to make the birdies when you’re making the bigger numbers.”
Senior Brittany Marchand, who was All-ACC this season, finally showed some life, shooting a 69 (-1) after shooting a combined +12 on the first two days.
The State players’ skill on the course prompted another huge jump in the standings. Heading into the final day of competition, the Pack was tied with two other teams for sixth place.
Despite a drop in the standings to 10th after the final day of competition, the Wolfpack managed to set a school record for the best finish at Nationals in program history.
Seniors Marchand and Menendez both ended their careers on Friday, and by completing the Championship, the two have played every round in every tournament for the Pack in the past four years. James finished the final day with a 73 (+3), putting her at +4 and 13th for the entire event.
