Oct. 5, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt shot up the final standings after posting a third-round team total of 290 to end the Tar Heel Invitational in third place with a final score of 892 (302-300-290). Senior Jacqui Concolino tallied the Commodores’ third individual top-10 finish of the young 2008-09 campaign after finishing in a tie for fourth at this weekend’s event with a two-over par 218 (74-72-72).
The finish at the UNC Finley Golf Course is also the Commodores’ second top-four finish or better as a team this year. Vanderbilt ended the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship in third place.
Concolino, who posted the 18th top-10 finish of her career and her third consecutive top-five finish at the Tar Heel Invitational, led a strong Vanderbilt squad on Sunday in Chapel Hill. Junior Brooke Goodwin, from nearby Raleigh, N.C., fired a final round 72 to end the tournament at 230 (79-79-72, T-40), while freshman Marina Alex and sophomore Megan Grehan shot a pair of 73’s on the final day of play.
Alex ended the tournament in a tie for 21st with a 225 (80-72-73), and Grehan finished with a 228, which tied her for 35th (74-81-73). Freshman Andrea Messer had her best tournament as a collegian this weekend after finishing in a tie for 28th, carding a 227 (75-77-75).
Vanderbilt’s 290 on Sunday was the best third round by any team, and it moved the Commodores to a third-place finish. Wake Forest led wire-to-wire and won the tournament with an 876 (294-291-291), and host North Carolina finished second, 12 strokes behind the Demon Deacons with an 888 (299-297-292).
“I’m really proud of the effort today and happy with the results after struggling the first two days,” said Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen. “After watching the football game last night, the team came out really motivated. It was a great team effort today and we really finished well.
“Our goal today was to have the low round of the day, and with some late birdies we did it. Through two tournaments we’ve seen how deep the starting five can be. Jacqui started the tournament fifth in the lineup and finished fourth overall. She had a great tournament.”
The Commodores get a week off from tournament play and then fly to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Stanford Invitational Oct. 17-19.
