Final Results (from golfstat.com)
Jekyll Island, Ga.--Laura Knutson (Fy./Edina, Minn.) gutted out a tough 14-over par 86 and Meghan Gajare (Fy./Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central) rebounded with a final-round 87 as Carleton overtook McMurry (Texas) and held off seventh-ranked Wartburg to finish 12th of 26 teams at the Jekyll Island Collegiate.
The Knights fired a final-round 358 in very windy conditions and ended up setting a new 54-hole team scoring record at 1,057. Carleton finished ninth among Division III teams, with the eight teams ahead of the 22nd-ranked Knights all being ranked in the top 15.
The Knights finished 17 shots clear of seventh-ranked Wartburg, beating the defending Iowa Conference champions by 10 shots in the final round. They also bested 13th-ranked UW-Whitewater. NAIA scholarship school Berry College won with a team total of 959, followed by fellow NAIA school Shorter. St. Thomas (Minn.), ranked third in the latest Division III poll, was third.
Katrina Wood (Jr./Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) was Carleton's top finisher, finishing in a tie for 28th with a 54-hole total of 254. She fired a final-round 90, the worst score of her collegiate career, but still posted a solid finish against the most competitive Division III field of the season in her quest to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
"Overall, I was very pleased with our play this weekend," head coach Eric Sieger said. "For us to post that strong of a finish in our first event of the spring and after only practicing outside on grass for five days against a lot of southern teams was impressive."
The key to the Knights' strong final round, who usually rely on the consistent low scores of Wood, was the play of Knutson and Gajare. Knutson, who posted an 82 and 89 in the first two rounds, was seemingly struggling with her game, but finished with four consecutive pars and nearly birdied the long par-4 eighth hole, her final of the day, to post an 86 for a 54-hole total of 257 and tie for 39th. Gajare, meanwhile, used a long practice session after Saturday's 103 debacle and rebounded with an 87 for a 280.
"Laura played very well all weekend," Sieger said. "She battled her swing a little bit, but I was proud of the way she hung tough in that final round mentally until she found her swing."
Louise Buckler (Fy./Blaine, Minn./St. Paul Academy) finished with a 95 and also posted a 280 three-round total. Sarah Ingebritsen (Sr./Spokane, Wash./Lewis and Clark) rounded out Carleton's scores at 287.
The Knights are scheduled to return to action on April 5-6 at the Wartburg Invitational, which will be staged at Centennial Oaks Golf Club, where the NCAA Championships will be held.
