Lady Eagles one shot short of program's first win

Photo by: Henoc Kivuye

Junior Anna Arrese Cortadellas tied with sophomore Audrey Meisch for fourth place, leading the Lady Eagles golf squad to second place in the New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday. The team finished one shot behind Chico State University.

This was the 11th time in Oklahoma Christian University’s history for the women’s golf team to finish as tournament runner-ups.

“The girls finished second by a single stroke,” Head Women’s Golf Coach David Lynn said. “We were all disappointed.”

Out of her 19 collegiate tournaments with Oklahoma Christian, Arrese Cortadellas has never finished outside the top 10. Meisch scored her second top-five finish in three tournaments.

Freshman Allison Sell tied for 16th, while fellow freshman India Matthews tied for 37th place.

Meisch led the Lady Eagles with a 2-over-par 74 as they finished the first day of the New Mexico Fall Invitational tied for second.

Though Meisch was Oklahoma Christian’s only representation in the top 10, Sell dogged her heels, shooting a 76 to tie for 11th place in the 92-woman field. Arrese Cortadellas trailed in 16th with a 77, while Matthews and freshman Dana Todd shot an 81 to bring up the rear tied for 36th.

The Lady Eagles pulled out a victory against No. 22-ranked Northeastern State to break the tie in a scorecard playoff. Arrese Cortadellas blazed ahead with a 1-over 73 finish, tying Meisch’s total after a second-day performance of 76. Both the Lady Eagles trailed three shots behind the individual victors, Arinda Bhanaraska and Audra Kepler of California State-Monterey Bay.

Chico State surged from behind after Oklahoma Christian finished up their round, however, shooting a 292 the second day to post a collective 613 — one shot ahead of both the Lady Eagles and Northeastern State to clinch the tournament victory.

All of Chico State’s second-day scores ended up well beneath 80 — gaining a nearly 30-shot improvement — scoring 72, 72, 73 and 75. The previous day’s leader, Western Washington University, fell to finish the tournament in fourth place.

As for the remainder of the Lady Eagles’ golf squad, Sell and Matthews both posted second-day scores beneath 80 as well for the Lady Eagles. Todd tied for 52nd, posting a score of 84.

The Lady Eagles compete in the Central Oklahoma Broncho Classic Oct. 7 and 8 at the Lincoln Park Golf Club in Oklahoma City.