Trojans Win Nail-Biter as Jung Triumphs Again
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Led by senior All-American Nicole Jung's 17th career win, the Taylor women's golf team collected the Pilot Invitational title by the slimmest of margins on Saturday, holding off Illinois Wesleyan for a 1-shot victory.
Jung led wire-to-wire for her fourth win of the season and the 17th of her storied career. The All-American posted an even-par round of 72 in round one and followed that with a hard-fought 78 in cold, windy conditions in Saturday's final round. Jung's two-day total of 150 was two shots better than runner-up Kate Munro from Carthage College and five shots clear of third place.
The 19th-ranked Trojans needed every shot as TU held off NCAA Division III 16th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan for the team title. The Trojans entered the final round tied with IWU after both squads tallied team scores of 316 in the opening round. Neither team managed the push the margin to more than three shots during Saturday's final round but the Trojans earned the victory with a 324 while IWU closed with a 325.
Freshman Sabrina Langerak added another top-10 finish, posting scores of 79-80 to finish in 10th place at 159. Fellow freshman Ellie Karst continued her strong play with a tie for 12th place with rounds of 81-81. Karst hit some big shots down the stretch during the final round, playing her final three holes at 1-under par to help TU secure the win.
Freshman Alyssa Schmidt added rounds of 85-85 on her way to a tie for 29th place while sophomore Elizabeth Kemper notched scores of 88-87 to finish in a tie for 38th place.
The Trojans picked up victories over No. 25 Bethel as well as fellow Crossroads League foe Mount Vernon Nazarene.
The Trojans will close the regular season on Monday when TU travels to Purdue to host the Ackerman-Allen Shootout. Action is set to begin Monday at 9:00 am with live scoring available on golfstat.com.