Winter Spring, Fla. – The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles struggled during a windy final round, shooting 331 (+43) to finish ninth at the 37th Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational, which wrapped up Tuesday at Tuscawilla Country Club in the Orlando area.
C-N slipped to ninth in the 12-team field which featured eight of the nation's top 12 teams. Its three-day total was 961.
Defending national champion and the nation's No. 1 team Nova Southeastern took the team title, conquering the wind on Tuesday to fire 310 (+22), the day's low round.
NSU's Abbey Gittings captured the individual title with the day's low round on Tuesday. She shot a 73 (+1) and finished with a three-day 222 (+6) for the tournament.
Senior Jennifer Oliver (Knoxville, Tenn.) carded a 79 on Tuesday. She fired a 79 to finish with a 235 total, good for 15th place.
Senior Erica Ray (Maryville, Tenn.) turned in C-N's low round in the tournament's final 18 holes. She shot a 78 on Tuesday to climb to a 25th place finish.
Junior Melanie Manis (Louisville, Tenn.) and sophomore Louise McGillvray (Banchory, Scotland) both fired 87s on the final round. Manis slipped to finish 37th, while McGillvray finished the tournament in 41st.
Sophomore Lauren Hodge (Jefferson City, Tenn.) was 62nd.
The Lady Eagles finished three strokes behind No. 17 Grand Valley State and six strokes back of No. 8 St. Leo.
Carson-Newman returns to action March 26-27 at the Ralph Hargette Memorial Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. The 36-hole event is held at the Old Sycamore Country Club.
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