The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Golf Flies South for Two Tournaments on Spring Break
March 18 | Women's Golf
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AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's golf team will spend most of spring break on one of two golf courses near Orlando, Fla. The Zips are scheduled to compete in two events over a 10-day span, March 18-27, starting at the MSU Spring Citrus Challenge hosted by Morehead State followed by the UC Bearcat Spring Classic hosted by the University of Cincinnati.
Akron will open the week at the MSU Spring Citrus Challenge on Sunday-Tuesday, March 20-22, playing the RedTail Golf Club in Sorrento, Fla. The 54-hole event will be played over a three-day span with an 18-hole round each day. The RedTail is atypical of many Florida golf courses, featuring a par 72 links-style layout that spans 6,125 yards on the final day of competition. The opening round yardage is set at 6,097 yards followed by a 6,109-yard distance for round two. The course has four lakes that come into play on the last five holes and several massive bunkers throughout.
"This tournament will be a great way to start our Spring Break," head coach Jenny King said. "Not only will the course be a nice challenge, but the field is stacked with solid teams from top to bottom. Overall, I believe no matter how we finish, it's going to be a great learning tool for us and we have to approach as so."
Four Mid-American Conference schools are among the 20-team field, including Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan, and Ohio. The other 16 teams are Morehead State (hosts), Cincinnati, Daytona State, Elon, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, James Madison, Marshall, McNeese State, Murray State, Nebraska Omaha, North Florida, Northern Kentucky, Stetson, and Western Kentucky.
The Zips starting five includes Frida Fougberg (Partille, Sweden), Danielle Nicholson (Geneva, Ohio), Pader Her (Holt, Mich.), Makayla Dull (Fremont, Ohio), and Alejandra Velasco-Villanueva(Guadalajara, Mexico). In addition, senior Lesli Stolly (Lima, Ohio) will be competing as an individual. Akron's tee times will begin at 10:18 a.m. ET on 10th hole tee box.
"Our preparation over the last two weeks has been very good," King said. "We've used the nice March weather to our advantage and have been on the course quite a bit. I feel like we will be ready for the grind this week."
Akon is coming off a three-day event at Rio Verde Country Club in Rio Verde, Ariz. The Zips placed 14th out of 18 teams with a team total 915 (+51) strokes. Nicholson led the way with an 8th place showing on rounds of 74-73-75 for a 222 (+6) stroke effort. Her followed with a 230 (+14) 54-hole total while Fougberg and Velasco-Villanueva carded 236 (+20) strokes each. Dull rounded out the team scoring with a 240 (+24) performance, and Stolly recorded a 243 (+27) as an individual.
In five events this season, Nicholson finished in the Top 10 three times, including her first collegiate win at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational, while maintaining a 74.71 stroke average. Fougberg won the MAC Fall Preview with a program-best 3-under par 69 and placed second at the Roseann Schwartz Invite en route to a second-best 75.36 stroke average. Her averages 77.57 strokes per round this season and registered a third place finish at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational. Velasco-Villanueva has one Top 10 finish with an 80-stroke average while Dull and Stolly round out the Zips scoring averages at 79.5 and 82.75, respectively.
Akron will be back in action at the UC Bearcat Spring Classic at El Campeon Golf Course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. The three-day event is scheduled to begin on Friday, March 25 and will end on Sunday, March 27.
