AUSTIN, Texas - The Ladies fired the second-best score during the second round (337, +57), while junior Jessica Varner won her fifth collegiate tournament at the Linda Lowery Invitational, held at the par-70, 5,894-yard Balcones Country Club in Austin, Texas Monday and Tuesday, February 26-27.
Combined with a 342 (+62) in round one, the Ladies finished fourth of eight teams with a two-round total of 679 (+119) - besting Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference-rival Schreiner by 14 strokes. Centenary also beat McMurray (733, +173), Howard Payne (771, +211) and Hendrix (993, +433). Southwestern (657, +97) beat host Concordia by eight strokes for the win in the team competition.
"A really good start to the spring season for the Ladies," said head coach Emlyn Aubrey. "Today's second round score showed them we can be very competitive this year. Then of course, Jessie wins again!"
While Varner was +6 on the front nine, she made eight pars and one bogey on the back in the second round to rally for the win. Her 77 (+7) was the best score on the final day as Varner was only one of two-golfers to be less than 10-over par for the round. She easily bested the field in pars (21) and par-4 scoring (4.45, + 9), completing the two-day competition at 154 (+14).
The finish was Varner's 14th top-5 finish of her collegiate career.
The Ladies also managed two more top-20 finishes. Junior Taylor Adair jumped five spots in the final round to finish with a +25 (165). Her seventh place is her third top-10 placing in her collegiate career. She finished in a tie for the fifth-most birdies in the tournament, carding a pair in the final round - including the only player in the second round to make a birdie on the par-4 third. Adair is also one of only two players that shot even par on par-5s for the tournament.
Sophomore Erin Rostro finished 19th with a total of +34 (174).
Senior Toni Ficarra tied for 31st with a 186 (+46), improving six shots from round one to round two. Freshman Aerial Reeves, in her first tournament with Centenary, finished 41st with a 215 (+75).
In her first collegiate tournament, junior Shannon Orlopp finished fourth with a total of 210 (+70).
Centenary returns to action Saturday, March 3, when it travels to Little Rock, Arkansas, to take on Hendrix in a dual match at 1 p.m.
