The UCF women’s golf team completed one of the best performances in recent history with a runner-up finish (+33, 897) at the Conference USA Championship Wednesday afternoon at the Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club.
This is the second time the No. 38 Knights have finished runner-up at the C-USA Championship, matching their effort from the 2009 season. No. 33 Tulsa won the team title with a 20-over performance on the week.
Freshman Katie Mitchell was named to the all-tournament team after finishing in a tie for third overall, the highest placing for a UCF golfer at the C-USA Championship. Teaming with fellow rookie Monifa Sealy (6th), they became the highest duo to finish at the league tournament.
“They fought until the bitter end and I am so happy for them,” head coach Courtney Trimble said of her squad. “Tulsa flat beat us. We tried our hardest and I am happy with second place. This is a young team and they learned a lot. We wanted to win, but if we couldn’t, we certainly wanted second.”
“The future is bright,” Trimble added. “It was a total team effort this week. They are a young team, but they aren’t playing like it.”
Mitchell started the day in a tie for fourth, but moved up one spot after finishing the final round 2-over (74) including birdies on the second and sixth holes. Sealy stood firm in sixth place with her second-straight 74 to close out the championship.
Junior Carolin Pinegger matched her 12th-place finish from a year ago at the C-USA Championship after a final round 77 (+5). She ended the three-day tournament with six birdies.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Price also matched her 2011 placing at 18th after a final round 77 (+5). She finished the tournament by moving up two spots on the final day of play. Rookie Heather Proctor wrapped up her first championship appearance with a 73 (+1) in the final round by carding three birdies on the 6,246-yard course.
The No. 38 Knights will now wait and see where they will end up in their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2009.
“We are excited about heading to the regional. We will find out where we are going on Sunday,” Trimble said. “The goal is to get through the regional and get to the national championship.”
Individual Scores
T3 Katie Mitchell 75-72-74=221 (+5)
6 Monifa Sealy 75-74-74=223 (+7)
T12 Carolin Pinegger 78-71-77=226 (+10)
T18 Kaitlyn Price 78-76-77=231 (+15)
27 Heather Proctor 80-80-73=233 (+17)
Team Scores
1 Tulsa 299-291-294=884 (+20)
2 UCF 306-293-298=897 (+33)
3 Tulane 301-296-304=901 (+37)
T4 Memphis 310-316-303-=929 (+65)
T4 SMU 313-311-305=929 (+65)