April 22, 2012
Senior Marina Alex fired a third-round 75 on Sunday at the 2012 SEC Championship in Fayetteville, Ark., and fell one shot short of her second SEC individual title, finishing in second place with a three-round total of 220 (70-73-77). Alex and her Commodore teammates finished in eighth place with a final team score of 940 (318-307-315).
Alex finished second to Auburn’s Patricia Sanz, who ended the event with a total of 219 (69-73-77). Alex won the 2010 SEC Championship in route to being named the SEC Player of the Year that season.
“I played well all week, but it was really tough today,” said Alex. “It was really windy, and one-over (the best score of the day) was a good score. I knew bogeys and double bogeys were going to happen out there, so I really wasn’t stressing about it because I made enough birdies in the first and second round to offset some of those. It was a good confidence builder and I hope it carries over to postseason play coming up.”
The Commodores finished three strokes behind seventh-place LSU. Auburn won the team title with a 916, one stroke better than host Arkansas.
“It would have been nice to bring home a bigger trophy for Marina, but like I’ve said throughout the week, this was a hard golf course,” said Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen. “These conditions were as tough as I’ve seen, and it was nice to see Marina grind out a good performance this week.
“We’re not going to let the numbers get us down. We hit a lot of quality shots this week that on most courses would have been great. But here, not.”
Alex’s teammate, junior Lauren Stratton, finished in a tie for eighth with a total of 229 (77-74-78).
Junior Anna Leigh Keith ended the tournament in 41st position with a 243 (84-80-79), while sophomore Rene Sobolewski carded a 252 (87-80-85, 56) and freshman Irina Gabasa ended the tournament with a 260 (91-88-81).
Vanderbilt, ranked 10th in the country prior to this weekend’s SEC Championship, will await their selection into one of three regional sites – State College, Pa., Columbus, Ohio, or Boulder, Colo. – on Monday, May 14.
“I think mentally, we’re in a good place,” said Allen. “Now, we focus on getting through final exams and get ready for regionals.”
8. Vanderbilt – 318-307-315=940
2. Marina Alex – 70-73-77=220
T8. Lauren Stratton – 77-74-78=229
41. Anna Leigh Keith – 84-80-79=243
56. Rene Sobolewski – 87-80-85=252
59. Irina Gabasa – 91-88-81=260
