William and Mary opened its 2016-2017 campaign this past weekend, as the men competed on the road in Colorado while the women hosted a tournament in Williamsburg.
The men’s team began its season at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, hosted by Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. Opening Saturday, the Tribe sat at the bottom of the leaderboard in 16th place after two rounds. In round one, the College shot 318 (+30), which it followed up with a 302 (+14) in the second round later in the day. Senior Austin Morrison led the Tribe with a two-round score of 149 (+5), good for a tie for 25th individually. Sophomore David Hicks finished the day just a stroke behind Austin Morrison, shooting 150 (+6) and tying for 28th place in the field. Senior Davis Morrison finished 12 strokes behind his brother, scoring a 161 (+17) to sit in a tie for 81st place. Sophomore Will Stewart and freshman Ben Morris rounded out the Tribe’s scoring, earning a 162 (+18) and 168 (+24), respectively, to sit at 85th and 91st. At the end of day one, the overall leader was Nevada-Las Vegas’s John Oda with a 7-under 137, while Colorado and Texas-El Paso topped the team board with a 3-under 573.
The tournament closed Sunday morning with the third round. The College shot a 305 (+17), lifting the quintet to 15th for a three-round total of 925 (+61). Austin Morrison shot 76 for a total of 9-over 225 to lead the Tribe and finish in a tie for 30th. Hicks followed in 39th with a total of 10-over 226. Stewart moved ahead of Davis Morrison in the third round to finish in 73rd at 235 (+19), while Davis Morrison took 85th with 241 (+25). Morris took the rear, keeping 91st place with a 33-over 249 in his collegiate debut. Oda took the individual title with a 206 (-10), while UTEP and UNLV tied for the overall title at 863 (-1).
On the women’s side, the College hosted the William and Mary Invitational, which took place on the River Course at Kingsmill Sunday and Monday. The Tribe sat in seventh following Sunday’s play, shooting a 622 (+46) overall after two rounds, 23 strokes behind first-place Richmond. Leading the pack was junior Katie Edelblut, who was tied for fourth with a 5-over 149. Sophomore Elizabeth Choi shot a 156 (+12) for 28th to follow. Freshman Allison Olberding shot 158 (+14) in her first two rounds of collegiate play to sit at 37th, while senior Mia Zanghetti placed 41st overall with a 159 (+15). Freshman Jordan Michalak shot a two-round total 176 (+32) in her first tournament with the Tribe to round out the scorecard. Sophomore Riley Corona and redshirt junior Kelly Moran competed as individuals in the event, Corona sitting in 31st after two rounds with a 3-over 157, and Moran tied Olberding in 37th.
The Tribe returned for the third round Monday with a 304 (+16), led by Edelblut’s tournament-winning performance of 73 (+1) to defeat Seton Hall’s Cassie Pantelas by a lone stroke for the event crown.
The Tribe returned for the third round Monday with a 304 (+16), led by Edelblut’s tournament-winning performance of 73 (+1) to defeat Seton Hall’s Cassie Pantelas by a lone stroke for the event crown. Edelblut finished with a total of 222 (+6), helping the College to a sixth-place finish with a 62-over 926. Seton Hall took the team title with a 37-over 901. Zanghetti moved up to 23rd place with a total score of 233 (+17), followed by Choi in 31st with a 235 (+19) and Olberding in 34th with a 236 (+20). Michalak rounded out the team in 58th with a 259 (+43). Corona came in 34th, shooting 236 (+20) to tie Olberding, and Moran came in 47th with 244 (+28).
Both squads continue their season in two weeks, the men heading to Valentine, Neb., to compete at the Jackrabbit Invitational Sept. 25-27 and the women traveling to the Nittany Lion Invitational hosted by Penn State in State College, Pa., Sept. 24-25.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”- (Nigel Thornberry)