April 17, 2010
SEC Championship Day Two Results 
Sophomore Marina Alex fired a six-under par, 65, on Saturday to help vault the Commodores into a tie for first place heading into the final round of the SEC Championships at the NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Vanderbilt is tied for the lead with host Alabama, with each posting a total of 565 after two rounds. Alex is also tied for the individual lead with a score of 136 (71-65).
Alex had eight birdies on Saturday, including six in her first nine holes. The Wayne, N.J., native had two bogeys and eight pars. Alex is tied for the individual lead with 2009 SEC champion, Marta Silva Zamora of Georgia, with both players ending the day with a two-round score of 136 (71-65). Alex’s second-round 65 is the lowest of the tournament thus far, and it ties a Southeastern Conference record for the lowest round at the SEC Championships. Katy Harris of LSU shot a 65 in the 2001 SEC Championship, which also came in the second round.
Vanderbilt freshman Lauren Stratton fired a second-round 69 on Saturday after a 75 on Friday, and senior Brooke Goodwin shot a one-over par 72. Stratton is in a tie for 24th place with a 145 (76-69), and Goodwin is in a tie for ninth with a score of 141 (69-72). The Commodores’ other counting score on Saturday came from freshman Anna Leigh Keith, who shot a second-round 75. Keith is in a tie for 28th with a total of 147 (72-75). Megan Grehan is in a tie for 46th with a score of 152 (72-80) after two rounds of play.
“As good as our scores and finishes were, it was a grind out there today,” said Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen. “Marina made it look easy, but for everyone else, it was a grind.”
As a team, VU shot a three-under par, 281, on Saturday, and are tied with host Alabama for the second-round lead with a 565 (284-281). Both the Commodores and the Crimson Tide hold a three-stroke lead on third-place Arkansas, who ended Saturday with a 568.
“Stratton showed a lot of patience today with a birdie, birdie, birdie finish. Brooke birdied her last hole, which was nice for us,” said Allen. “We talked at the end that we got the second-round monkey off of our back, and I think the game plan for tomorrow is to just play golf in the moment. Just go out there and play, be free, and be patient. Just be in the moment and control our emotions.
“We feel like we have a chance to win,” continued Allen. “This has been the game plan for us. It’s been a long three years for us at the SEC’s, so while we’re here in this situation, I told the team, `why don’t we just go out there and take care of business?'”
The final round of the SEC Championship concludes on Sunday.
