CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Three Carson-Newman Eagles finished in the top-10 and the team finished in second-place at the 36-hole, one-day Lady Flames Shootout at the Cleveland Country Club in Cleveland, Tenn. on Monday.
Sophomore Elizabeth England (Oakland, Tenn.) finished tied for third, senior Meridith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.) tied for eighth and freshman Taylor Hayes (Lake Ozark, Mo.) turned in a performance that tied for 10th to lead the Eagles.
"I'm very pleased with the progress of the team. We are definitely moving in the right direction with our scores. The girls are getting more consistent, but we still have a lot of short game to work on," coach Suzanne Strudwick said.
England dropped three strokes from her first round score of 78 to card Carson-Newman's lowest-round of event with a 75. The sophomore was the lone participant in the tournament to finish at below-par on par-threes as she averaged 2.88 strokes and finished one-under; the sophomore was the most-consistent player with 26 pars on 36 holes.
Hawkins's first round 76 tied her season-low round of the year with her score from the final round of the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate. She followed up with an 80 during the final round and finished at 12-over 156. The senior had one of the lower averages on par-fours with an average stroke of 4.40 and finished those holes at eight-over.
Hayes made the biggest improvement from the first to second round as she dropped six strokes to finish the final round at four-over 76. The freshman's 76 was her third round of that season to finish at four-over and it matches her career-high. Hayes led the Eagles with four birdies on the day and finished at even-par on par-fives.
Senior Kelli Pemberton (Knoxville, Tenn.) shot rounds of 84 and 83 to finish at 167 and in a tie for 24th. Pemberton carded three birdies on the day. Junior Jessica Hart (Roanoke, Va.) finished two strokes behind Pemberton and in a tie for 29th. Hart turned in rounds of 82 and 87 during the day and had C-N's fourth-most pars with 16.
Senior Rebekah Pruett (Niceville, Fla.) and freshman Summer Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) each competed as individuals at the Lady Flames Shootout. Pruett finished in a tie for 26th after rounds of 88 and 80. The senior's final round 80 was her lowest-round of the season. Smith carded rounds of 81 and 89 to finish in a tie for 31st. The freshman's round of 81 was her career-low. She recorded two birdies over the span of the tournament.
Host Lee won the team event by 19 strokes over Carson-Newman and Mount Olive finished third 11 strokes behind the Orange and Blue. Shorter's Gracel Paris won the individual competition by shooting the tournament's low-round of 73 during the first round. Lee's Carolina Moore finished second and England placed third.
The Eagles cap their fall schedule this Saturday and Sunday at the Wingate SAC Preview at Monroe Country Club in Monroe, N.C.
2 Carson-Newman 318-314 632
T3 Elizabeth England 78-75 153 (+9)
T8 Meridith Hawkins 76-80 156 (+12)
T10 Taylor Hayes 82-76 158 (+14)
T24 Kelli Pemberton 84-83 167 (+23)
T26 Rebekah Pruett 88-80 168 (+24)
T29 Jessica Hart 82-87 169 (+25)
T31 Summer Smith 81-89 170 (+26)
