April 16, 2008

FLORENCE, Ala. --- The Samford women's golf team dropped one more place Wednesday to finish fifth in the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship held at the Fighting Joe Course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Bulldogs finished just 12 strokes out of the top three trailing four-time champion Jacksonville State, runner-up Murray State, third-place finisher Eastern Kentucky and fourth-place finisher Eastern Illinois.

Sophomore Sara Hunt followed up an All-Newcomer team selection by earning a spot of the All-Tournament team as she finished in a tie for third place with day one's leader Chelsea Harris of Austin Peay and Murray State's Joyce Trus.. Jacksonville State's Laura Cutler was this year's individual medalist beating out her teammate Mercedes Huarte by one stroke.

"We are so proud of Sara," Samford head coach Woodie Eubanks said. "She reallu just flourished at the right time and did a great job on a very hard course and tough conditions the first day. It is great for a brand new player to come in and do as well as she has done and be selected to the All-Newcomer team and All-Tournament team."

Hunt led the Bulldogs in the final two rounds as she shot 77 on the day, three strokes more than her second round score, ending the three-day event with a total score of 234. Last year's individual medalist Katelyn Stanier finished 18th, shooting three strokes better than Tuesday, bringing her total of 244. Senior Courtney Warr took 23rd place, shooting 248 while Heather Arnold tied for 24th place and Maria Troche moved up one spot to 33rd place.

Samford had one of the best seasons it has had in recent years. The Bulldogs finished the season continuing a season-long trend of not finishing below seventh place. The highlight of the season came in the first tournament of the spring as the Bulldogs won their first tournament in Samford history. They beat out several long-time rivals in the Ann Rhoads Southern Shootout hosted by Birmingham-Southern at the end of February.

5 Samford University 328-316-325 = 969 (+105)
T3 Sara Hunt 83-74-77 = 234 (+18)
18 Katelyn Stanier 79-84-81 = 244 (+28)
23 Courtney Warr 85-75-88 = 248 (+32)
T24 Heather Arnold 81-83-85 = 249 (+33)
33 Maria Troche 92-88-82 = 262 (+46)