CONOVER, N.C. – The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles fired a final round 310 (+22) to rally from a nine-stroke deficit and claim the 2011 South Atlantic Conference Tournament title played Tuesday afternoon on the 5,858-yard Jackson Course at Rock Barn Golf Club in Conover, N.C.
The tournament title in C-N's second in just three seasons as a Division II program. Carson-Newman won the SAC title in its first season, 2009.
C-N finished with a three-day total of 953 (+101), four strokes ahead of Newberry College, who led the Lady Eagles by nine entering the final day. The Lady Eagles were fourth entering the final round.
Newberry, which held a five shot lead over Wingate University after two rounds, finished at 957. Lincoln Memorial University (966) was third and Wingate (973) placed fourth.
South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Jessica Tarbet (Corryton, Tenn.) led the final round charge. The senior topped the field with a final-round 74 (+3), three strokes better than anyone else in the field. She finished the tournament in a tie for third and birdied her final hole of the day to close out C-N's surge.
Tarbet was one of only three golfers to play all three tournament rounds in the 70's. She earned first team all-tournament honors.
As a team, C-N had three of the day's seven rounds in the 70's, led by Tarbet's 74.
Junior Jennifer Oliver (Knoxville, Tenn.) earned second team all-tournament honors for C-N. She finished in a tie for ninth (241, +28) after closing with a 6-over on Tuesday, her low round of the tournament.
C-N freshman Mary Tunnell (Memphis) carried the Lady Eagles with a 77 (+6) in the opening round Monday. She finished the tournament in a tie for 12th after a final round 81 on Tuesday for a three round (242, +29), a stroke behind Oliver.
Sophomore Melanie Manis' (Louisville, Tenn.) played helped the key the C-N rally in the final two rounds. Tied for 42nd after an opening-round 89, she recovered to finish tied for 17th, and was one of only five golfers in the field to card two rounds in the 70's. She posted a 78 in Tuesday's final 18 holes.
Junior Erica Ray (Maryville, Tenn.) closed the tournament in a tie for 23rd. The second team All-SAC selection finished with an 84 on Tuesday to close the tournament at 249 (+36.)
Freshman Louise McGillivray (Banchor, Scotland) competed as an individual and finished in a tie for 38th.
Brenna Martens, of Lenoir-Rhyne University, took medalist honors as she led after each round.
Martens held the lead after each round and survived to take tournament MVP honors by a single shot over Ashley Denton, of Wingate. Martens had an 80 in the final round and had a 230 total, while Denton carded a 78 on Tuesday to close with a 231 score. Martens and Denton were joined by Julia Daneshfar, of Newberry, Jessica Tarbet, of Carson-Newman, and Maria Stapleton, of Lincoln Memorial, as first team all-tournament performers.
Second team all-tournament honors went to Oliver, Catawba College's Eileen Purpur and Elizabeth Smith, Newberry's Maria Luz Besio and Natalia Perez and Tusculum College's.
Carson-Newman will now wait to NCAA Tournament fate.
The Lady Eagles would appear to have earned a berth to the Southeast Regional in Lakeland Fla. played May 1-3. They were ninth in this week's regional poll, which determines which teams make the NCAA field. The top nine teams from the final poll advance to the regional.
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C-N head coach Mandy Moore on her team's SAC Tournament title…
"I'm very excited for this team and proud of their effort. We set our goals early in the year, and to win this tournament was one of them, now I'm just proud of what we've accomplished…We stayed patient after a slow start and didn't get ahead of ourselves. We had a couple of good finishing holes and that really helped. We worked hard in practice and tried to come up with a game plan that fit us and stayed within that game plan."
Moore on Jessica Tarbet's play…
Jessica (Tarbet) has been our leader all year. She made a huge birdie on 18 and that was a really good way for her to go out in her last conference tournament. She really led by example.
Moore on Jennifer Oliver's play…
Jennifer (Oliver) came through for us (Tuesday). She bogeyed her last four holes and still shot 77, and that was big.
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