The Malone University women’s golf team finished in the runner-up spot among a four-team field at the AMC/NAIA Region IX Championships at the Berkshire Hills Golf Course in Chesterland, Ohio on Monday and Tuesday.

Although Malone finished second as a team, as Walsh University won the team title, the Pioneers’ Elena Duncan (Sr., Winona Lake, IN) finished first overall to earn medalist honors and is a potential qualifier, as an individual, to the NAIA national tournament.

Normally, the winning team and the individual winner (if not from the winning team) earn an automatic bid to the NAIA national event.  However, since a minimum number of teams was not entered in the conference/regional championship event, the NAIA has announced that an automatic bid will not be awarded to the winning team and the individual.  Both the Walsh team, and Malone’s Elena Duncan, as the individual winner, must await word to see if they receive an at-large bid to the event.  The individual at-large bids are awarded on May 13^th and the 2010 NAIA National Tournament is held at the Meadowbrook Municipal Golf Course in Rapid City, Iowa May 25-28.

Duncan finished with a two-day score of 166 (82-84) for the overall victory to defeat the runner-up finisher from Walsh by four strokes.  She paced Malone to a team score of 724 (359-365) as Walsh won the team title with a score of 681 (333-348).  The University of Northwestern Ohio placed third at 749 (381-368) while Ursuline College finished fourth at 801 (396-405).  Notre Dame (OH) College competed but did post a team score.

Following Duncan’s score for Malone was Jennifer Snyder’s (Jr., Wexford, PA) score of 181 (87-94) which gave her an eighth-place finish overall.  Jen Blocker (Sr., Westerville Central H.S.) finished 11^th with a score of 188 (97-91) while Alyssa Westfall (Jr., Ashland H.S.) was 12^th at 189 (93-96).  Natalie Reddaway (So., Perkins H.S.) rounded out the Malone scoring by finishing 17^th at 196 (98-98).

Duncan also competed at the 2008 NAIA national event when Malone qualified as a team, the most recent time the Pioneer squad had qualified.  Prior to Duncan’s potential qualification, current Malone head coach Heather Grovemiller was the last Malone women’s golfer to qualify for the NAIA national tourney as she qualified after winning the regional individual title in 2005 as a sophomore.

Elena Duncan - 2010 AMC/NAIA Region IX Championships individual medalist
(photo courtesy of Kevin Alcox, Ursuline College Sports Information Director)

The Malone University women’s golf team picked up a fifth-place finish among an eight-team field at the Bethel (IN) College Blackthorn Big Time Challenge last Friday and Saturday.  Malone posted a two-day total of 723 (362-361) as host Bethel won with a score of 650 (324-326).  Hope (MI) College was second at 654 (329-325) while the University of St. Francis (IN) placed third at 672 (335-337).  Marian (IN) University finished fourth at 712 (357-355).

Click here for complete team and individual scores (which includes Marian University in the team scoring).

Elena Duncan (Sr., Winona Lake, IN) paced the team with a score of 173 (89-84) to finish 18^th overall while Jennifer Snyder (Jr., Wexford, PA) was next for Malone at 174 (87-87).  Other scores for Malone included Natalie Reddaway (So., Perkins H.S.) at 187 (90-97), Alyssa Westfall (Jr., Ashland H.S.) at 189 (96-93) and Sarah Ramsey (Sr., Kenton Ridge H.S.) at 211 (112-99).

The Malone University women’s golf team earned its second tournament victory in as many attempts this season as the squad captured the five-team Westminster (PA) College Invitational on Monday.  The Pioneers tallied a score of 361 to defeat runner-ups Grove City (PA) College and Mt. Union College, which had scores of 384.  Westminster finished fourth at 404 and St. Vincent (PA) College placed fifth at 546.

Jennifer Snyder (Jr., Wexford, PA) paced Malone and finished second overall with a score of 87, just two shots behind the tournament medalist from Mt. Union College.  Elena Duncan (Sr., Winona Lake, IN) placed third overall with a score of 88.  Jen Blocker (Sr., Westerville Central H.S.) followed in fourth at 89, Natalie Reddaway (So., Perkins H.S.) carded a 97 (T10th) and Alyssa Westfall (Jr., Ashland H.S.), in the final Pioneer varsity spot, recorded a 102 (T15th).

Competing as individuals were Sarah Ramsey (Sr., Kenton Ridge H.S.) at 97, Abby Froman (Fr., Strasburg-Franklin H.S.) at 97, and Kahle Bryant (So., Westerville Central H.S.) at 110.

The team has two matches left this spring with the next one being the Bethel (IN) College Blackthorn Big Time Challenge on April 16-17.

The Malone University women’s golf team, led by first-year head coach Heather Grovemiller, captured the Urbana University Invitational last Friday among a three-team field.  Malone tallied a score of 382 to defeat runner-up Urbana, which had a score of 393.  Lake Erie College was third at 452.

For Malone, Elena Duncan (Sr., Winona Lake, IN) led the way and was the overall tournament medalist as she posted a score of 87.  Jennifer Snyder (Jr., Wexford, PA) followed with a second-place finish overall at 90.  Natalie Reddaway (So., Perkins H.S.) tied for seventh with a 101, Alyssa Westfall (Jr., Ashland H.S.) came in ninth at 104 and Kahle Bryant (So., Westerville Central H.S.) finished in a tie for 14^th at 113.

Sarah Ramsey (Sr., Kenton Ridge H.S.) and Abby Froman (Fr., Strasburg-Franklin H.S.) competed as individuals at the event and finished with scores of 110 (13^th) and 114 (17^th), respectively.

The Malone University women’s golf team captured the Phipps Memorial Tournament at Glenmoor Country Club on Thursday.  The Pioneers posted a team score of 370 for the win to easily outdistance runner-up Mt. Union College at 417.  Walsh University also sent individuals to the event but did not receive a team score. 

Elena Duncan (Sr., Winona Lake, IN) fired a team-best round of 87 to take medalist honors at the event.  Jen Blocker (Sr., Westerville North H.S.) finished second overall with a score of 91.   Jennifer Snyder (Jr., Wexford, PA) and Natalie Reddaway (So., Perkins H.S.) tied for sixth overall with rounds of 96.  Abby Froman (Fr., Strasburg-Franklin H.S.) also competed for Malone and shot a 108.