Quinnipiac University
Delaware State & Fairfield
QU Women's Golf Freshman Estefania Morales In The Lead After First Day Of Tri-Match Against Fairfield, Delaware State
3/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
DELAND, Florida - Quinnipiac women's golf freshman Estefania Morales (Caracas, Venezuala) was in first place at the conclusion of the first round of the Bobcats' tri-match against Fairfield and Delaware State at Victoria Hills Golf Club in Deland, Florida. As a team, Quinnipiac trails DSU by three strokes.
"It was a nice day at Victoria Hills today," head coach John O'Connor said. "For the most part we played good. The team shot well considering that we didn't have a practice round. I give the team a lot of credit for being able to play a course like this with very narrow fairways and a lot of bunkers."
Morales shot a +4, 76 on the first day, good for the lowest 18-hole score of her career. Morales bogeyed three straight holes - including triple bogeys on the third and fourth holes -but settled in and birdied two of the next five. On the back nine, shot 1-under down the stretch, going 41-35 for the day.
Morales joined Quinnipiac this fall, and in 15 rounds across seven tournaments, she was averaging 85.60. Morales also ranks seventh among the national leaders in fairways hit at .880.
"Estefania was spectacular today," O'Connor said. "She triple-bogeyed two holes but responded nicely and played really well on the back nine."
Quinnipiac sophomores Nicole Scola (Westerly, Rhode Island) and Emily Ribbins (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) were just behind Morales. Scola was four strokes back of Morales with a +8, 80 and tied for fifth while Ribbins finished with a +10, 82 for a tie of 8th. Taylor Lambrou (Baldwin, New York) was two strokes behind Ribbins at +12, 84.
"Nicole [Scola] played consistent all day and finished with a solid 80," O'Connor said. "Emily Ribbins continues to play well and her 82 is a show of her constant improvement. Taylor [Lambrou] shot 42 on the front and back nine for an 84, which is a fantastic score for her."
Delaware State finished with a combined 319 (+31) and placed three student-athletes in the top five. Suchada Anusuriya carded a +5, 77 while Elaine Aisha Peete was at +7 with a 79. Samyra Lewis finished with an 80 at +8. Fairfield's Emma Ritzman was tied with Anusuriya with a 77 (+5) with Michelle Applegate in a three-way tie with Lewis and Scola.
Quinnipiac will resume play at Victoria Hills Golf Club on Friday, Mar. 13. The Bobcats will then enjoy a two-week break before traveling to Four Streams Country Club in Beallsville, Maryland for the Georgetown Invitational on Mar. 30-31.
Players Mentioned
