SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Led by senior Danielle Baiunco (Melbourne, Fla.), the Carson-Newman women's golf team posted the second-lowest score during the first round of the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate Saturday at the Sevierville Golf Club.
Four Eagles finished in the top-20 after the first round and the team's score of 308 places Carson-Newman three shots behind Lee University heading into the final day.
Baiunco's 75, which placed her ninth on the leaderboard, led the Eagles on day one. The senior birdied the first two holes of the day and hit all nine greens on the back nine.
"It felt really solid. I started birdie-birdie and then I went nine-for-nine on the greens in the back so it was good. I just had a bad hole and that was it," Baiunco said after her round.
Junior Meridith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.) followed right behind Baiunco's by posting a 76, placing her in 10th-place. Freshmen Ashley Kay and Elizabeth England are also in the top-20. Kay shot a five-over 77 and England finished a shot behind Kay at six-over 78.
Junior Kelli Pemberton (Knoxville, Tenn.) also broke 80 with a score of 79.
"I am thrilled. That's a big improvement from last year. I think last year we only had one scorer in the 70s on the first day, so to have four and have them as the senior players, but even Elizabeth England, who qualified as a freshman at the number-two spot shoot a 78, I'm thrilled," coach Suzanne Strudwick said.
The final round of the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate begins Sunday morning at 7:45 a.m. with a shotgun shot at the Rivers Course at the Sevierville Golf Club.
Carson-Newman 308 308 +20 2nd
Danielle Baiunco 75 75 +3 9th
Meridith Hawkins 76 76 +4 T-10th
Ashley Kay 77 77 +5 T-13th
Elizabeth England 78 78 +6 T-17th
Kelli Pemberton 79 79 +7 T-23rd
Mikaela Thibodeau 80 80 +8 T-31st
Jessica Hart 81 81 +9 T-34th
Rebekah Pruett 83 83 +11 T-46th
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