DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The Lee University women's golf team played some of its best golf of the year in placing third in the LeeAnn Noble Memorial hosted by the University of North Georgia at the Achasta Golf Club on Monday and Tuesday.
Four Lady Flames fired 1-under par 71s in the final round and another posted an even-par 72 as Lee finished with a 54-hole team total of 859 setting a school record in the process. Wingate University (N.C.) blistered the course and carried away the first-place honors with a 15-under 849. Second-ranked Anderson University (S.C.) took the runner-up spot with a 9-under 855. Host North Georgia was fourth (868) and Saint Leo (Fla.) rounded out the top five (874).
Lee's Hannah Nall earned a spot on the All-Tournament team by placing in a tie for fifth place. She continued her solid play in the tournament with rounds of 73-68-71–211 (5-under par).
Olivia Pellerin of Anderson posted a 10-under 206 to claim medalist honors. Olivia Meinecke (Wingate) followed at 8-under 208. Aly Francis (Anderson) and Amely Bochaton (Wingate) were tied for third at 6-under 210, while Mckenzee Sullivan (Saint Leo University) and Nall were tied for fifth at 5-under 211.
Lehane Louis-Dumond was one of the four Lady Flames with a 71 on Tuesday and finished with a 216 and a tie for 13th. Olivia Ireland also carded a 71 and totaled a 219. Emilia Nordstrom had an even-par 72 and joined Ireland with a 219 and a tie for 23rd. Justine Emond posted a 73 and her 221 rounded out Lee's five scorers in the event. Gabriella Diaz played as an individual and tallied a 223.
Lee will play in one final tournament during the fall season. They will travel up the mountain to Taccoa, Ga. and take part in the D2 Currahee Elite Invitational on Oct. 27-28.
Coach Geandra Almeida's thoughts:
"I'm incredibly proud of our team and the way we battled this week. This was an outstanding performance. We finished the tournament at 5-under par, breaking our team-scoring record by 13 shots. Every single player stepped up and contributed in a big way.
Sometimes a third-place finish does not seem like the most glorious result, but this one means a lot. We were right there competing with some great teams and I could not be prouder of our how our girls played and competed. In the first round Lehane Louis-Dumond led the way with a 2-under par round, setting the tone for the team early. In the second round Hannah Nall and Emilia Nordstrom came out strong, each posting impressive 4-under par rounds that gave us great momentum heading into the final day. Hannah went on to finish the tournament at 5-under overall and continued her outstanding stretch of play. Emilia showed great resilience after a challenging start, bouncing back with confidence and consistency. In the final round we saw a great performance across the lineup and at one point every player was under par. Lehane and Olivia Ireland came through with a solid 1-under final round and Emilia rounded out the counting scores with an even-par finish. I'm super proud of the effort, focus and composure this team showed throughout the week. We have a lot to celebrate and even more to build on. We are staying in our lane, trusting our process and continuing to grow as a team."
