Wednesday, March 04, 2009

MACON, Ga. - Junior Sinead O'Sullivan collected her second career individual championship and the ETSU women’s golf team finished ahead of five ranked opponents, as the Buccaneers earning her women’s Golfer of the Month. Facing elite competition at the Arizona Intercollegiate and Puerto Rico Classic, Seamus Power posted a top-10 finish to earn men’s Golfer of the Month.

O'Sullivan became just the second ETSU female to win two individual championship medals, finishing tied for first in the Kiawah Island Classic. Facing a field comprised of 43 teams, the Galway, Ireland native fired a final round 1-under-par 71 to capture the championship. It was her second collegiate title, as she joined teammate Laura Jansone as multiple individual title winners.

Power put together back-to-back solid efforts for the Bucs in Arizona and Puerto Rico. In Arizona, the junior posted a second round 6-under-par 66 on his way to a score of 211 and a tie for 6th on the individual leaderboard. The Waterford, Ireland native fired a 4-under-par 68 in the third and final round of the Puerto Rico Classic, finishing that event tied for 21st. The accounting major faced golfers from five top-10 teams including No. 1 Georgia.

The Lady Bucs were set to compete in the Pinehurst Invitational hosted by Campbell this week, but due to inclement weather it was cancelled. ETSU women return to action at the UNC Wilmington Seahawk Invitational. The Bucs return to the course March 8 in the General Hackler Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Women Top Performers
Sarah Bejgrowicz, Campbell (So. - Lancaster, Pa. - Exercise & Sport Science) -- Sarah shot 74-76--150 to register her first collegiate victory, Feb.23-24 at the Jacksonville Women's Classic. Playing on an Arnold Palmer-Ed Seay design with winds out of the northeast both days at 15-20 miles per hour, Bejgrowicz led Campbell to its second team title of the year. She won the event by four strokes, and the Lady Camels claimed team honors by 18 over second-place Stetson. The sophomore lowered her stroke average to 76.4 over 13 rounds this year and claimed her 2nd top-15 individual finish. She tied for 12th last October when Campbell won the South Florida/Waterlefe Invitational.

Christine Fraser, Stetson (Sr. - Kingston, Ontario - Sport Management) -- Fraser has been Stetson's leader in the first two competitions of the spring season, including a tie for fourth place in extremely difficult scoring conditions at the JU Classic. Her steady play helped the Hatters take home runner-up honors on the First Coast, the squad's third straight top five tournament finish on the season. Fraser ranks fourth overall among Stetson golfers with her 77.7 season scoring average.

Patricia Arana, Kennesaw State (Fr. - Barcelon, Spain - Undecided) -- Arana led the Owls in her first collegiate event, coming in tied for 66th in the massive 215-player field at the Edwin/Watts Kiawah Island Invitational…Finished with a 230 total after shooting 80-80-75…Her 75 moved her up the leaderboard nearly 30 spots in the final round and was the Owls lowest total of the event…Recorded eight total birdies in 54 holes to finish in the top 10 in the field.

Other Top Men Performers
Vaita Guillaume, Campbell (Fr. - Papeete, Tahiti - Business Administration) -- Vaita produced his first collegiate top-5 individual finish at the Mardi Gras Invitational with a third-place showing. He shot 70-72-74--216 and was one of only 3 golfers in the 78-man field to play the TPC Louisiana, which is home to the PGA Tour Zurich Classic, at par or better. Guillaume has finished among the top 26 individuals in each of his first five collegiate events. He lowered his stroke average to 73.0, best on the team, over 14 rounds.

Bill Jones III, Mercer (Sr. - Conyers, Ga. - Business) -- Three outstanding rounds of golf from Bill Jones helped Mercer to an impressive seventh-place team finish in a high-caliber field at the Rio Pinar Invitational on Feb. 23-24. Despite facing players from no fewer than 18 nationally-ranked programs (including No. 19 UCF, No. 24 Ole Miss, former No. 1 Baylor, and the likes of Kentucky, Ohio State, Memphis, UConn, Louisville and VCU), Jones finished in a tie for fourth place overall after carding a four-under 212 at the event. The Conyers, Ga. native did not shoot above par in any of the event's three rounds, recording two rounds of two-under 70 as well as an even-par 72. In addition to posting tying career-bests for lowest 54-hole total and tournament finishes, Jones bested 11 of the nation’s top 100 players and 19 of the top 200 players at the Rio Pinar event. Thanks in large part to his contributions, the Bears would finish above 12 nationally-ranked teams at the event.

Tommy Parker, Stetson (Sr. - Palm Beach, Fla. - Finance) -- Parker closed the spring season-opening Jacksonville Invitational with the low round of the day, a five under par 67 that catapulted him to individual medalist honors and his first career outright tournament victory in a field that included five players ranked in the Golfweek top 100 and two in the top 50. Parker tied for first place in last fall's Bethune-Cookman Invitational but lost in a playoff to teammate Dave McAndrew. Parker has now shot even par or better in six of his last eight rounds in competition and is tied for the team lead with a 73.2 stroke average