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 Western Carolina claimed the team title for the third consecutive year; Hovda gave WCU its 4th-straight individual crown. |
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Oct. 19, 2004
UPDATED and OFFICIAL FINAL STATS
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Waynesville, N.C. - Despite every effort to regain the course, the Sixth Annual Wachovia-Great Smokies Intercollegiate was suspended due to weather, leaving first-round leading Western Carolina as the 2004 team champion. The Lady Catamounts fired an all-time school and tournament record 291 in the opening round to claim the team title at the par 72, 5,828-yard Waynesville Country Club for the third consecutive year.
The start of the second round was delayed half an hour to 10:00 am because of rain on an already damp course. The trio of hurricanes that pounded Western North Carolina during September and October caused severe flooding in the Waynesville and Canton areas and raised the water table. Periods of rain on Monday evening through Tuesday morning made the course unplayable.
This is the first-time in the event's six-year history that all scheduled rounds have not been completed. The 1999 Great Smokies Collegiate Championship, held on October 25-26, endured the event's only other delay, an hour setback due to frost on the course.
"Even with the early morning drizzle, we approached today with all intentions of completing the scheduled 18 holes," said Western Carolina Head Coach, and tournament coordinator, Steve Lott. "We moved pins then imposed the half hour delay. However heavier rain showers with more predicted forced us to suspend play. Many fairways and greens were under water when we made our decision."
Western Carolina junior Ashley Hovda, the leader after the first round with the second-best tournament single-round score of 67, was declared the tournament individual champion. It marks the fourth-consecutive year that a Lady Catamount golfer has medalled in the event. She joins Catamount golfers Brandy Andersen (2002, 2003), the tournament's only two-time winner, Line Cordes (2001), and Tennessee Tech's Cherry Bevis (2000) and Kylie Crouch(1999) on the event all-time individual champions list.
Hovda's teammate Bianca Melone joined Murray State's Santie Koch and Xavier's Tatia Jreige as tournament runners-up, each shooting even par on Monday. Rounding out the all-tournament team were Maria Ringdahl and Ashley Barton, both from East Tennessee State, Stephanie Hicks from Longwood University, Morgan Olds from Elon, and Sarah Sparks from Xavier.
 Ashley Hovda is greeted by her jubilant teammates after firing a 67 in the first round of the Wachovia-Great Smokies Intercollegiate |
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"I am very proud of this team and how we played this week," Lott commented on his squad's victory. "We have struggled this year thus far and finally put it together yesterday for a great round." For Lott, the victory was his 10th as the Western Carolina head coach. Each of the tournament wins have come in the past three years.
Western's scoring was rounded out by freshman Kandy Carland in a five-way tie for 16th at three-over, shooting a career-best 75, Andersen tied for 32nd at five-over, 77, and freshman Lucinda Davies tied for 67th, carding an 80.
The Lady Catamounts return to action on November 1-2 as they travel to Kiawah Island, S.C. to take part in the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate.
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