March 15, 2008

Gainesville, Fla. - Southern Miss shot a final round 313 to tie for ninth place Gainesville Shootout III in Gainesville, Fla. The tournament is being hosted by the University of Florida and played at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.

It is the second straight top ten finish for the Lady Eagles. They finished second at the USA Jaguar Invitational.

Sophomore Samantha Holt finished in a tie for 21st after a closing round 79. Freshman Virginia Espejo shot a 75 to tie for 24th-place. Freshman Jennifer Judge shot an 87 to tie for 54th-place. Sophomore Rebecka Nilsson and junior Heather Golden round out the Lady Eagles by shooting rounds of 77 and 82 to sit in 56th and a tie for 76th, respectively.

Alex Rankin of Wofford shot a seven-over par 77 to win the individual competition. Texas A&M-Chorpus Christi's Ashley Olynick ended up in second after shooting a one-under 69, and Raquel Hopton of Illinois finished third after shooting a 76,

Illinois won the team scoring with 916 strokes. Texas State finished two-shots back with 618 strokes, while Michigan closed in third with 920 strokes. Illinois State finished fourth with 624, and Texas A&M-Chorpus Christi fifth with 933. Louisiana-Monroe finished sixth with 935, followed by Wofford (941) and Nevada (943).

Iowa, West Florida and Southern Miss all finished in a tie for ninth with 950 strokes. Troy finished in 12th (958), followed by Appalachian State (964), UT-Pan American (974) and Albany (1,031).

Southern Miss returns to action April 7-8 when it hosts the Lady Eagle Invitational at Canebrake Golf Club.