Margaret Loncki (Photo by Joi Griffith)
Margaret Loncki (Photo by Joi Griffith)

Athenas eighth, Loncki fifth at NCAA Championships

HOUSTON, Texas – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf team ended the 2017 season in eighth, the program's highest finish at the NCAA Championships. The Athenas rose another spot on the leaderboard in the final day of the tournament with a team score of 311. The team total of 1262 is also the lowest in program history in the NCAA Tournament. Junior Margaret Loncki (CMC) posted the day's low score of 69 to jump up 16 spots and finish in a tie for fifth individually.

Loncki was a spectacular 5-under at the turn. She parred the first four holes and then dipped under par with an eagle on No. 5. That was quickly followed by a trio of birdies on holes six, seven and eight to come out with a 31. Loncki was the most successful Athena on the back nine all week. Today, she was just 2-over in the final nine highlighted by her fourth birdie of the round on No. 17.

Through nine, the Athenas' team score was at even par. Three more CMS players went low on the fifth hole as Emma Kang (CMC), Cara Brinster (CMC) and Taylor Hughes (CMC) each birdied. Kang was just 1-over through nine after another birdie on No. 6. Hughes led CMS with six pars on the front nine and made the turn with a 38. Kelly Ransom (CMC) tallied a par on No. 5 but then record birdies on No. 7 and then the 365-yard par four to finish the front.

The back nine gave the Athenas more trouble on Friday, just as it had done all week. Brinster began it with a pair of pars but then was unable to maintain it for the remainder of the round. Hughes tallied five more pars, but they were punctuated by a handful of bogeys and doubles.

Kang had a team-leading six pars on the back nine and posted a 79 on the day. She finished 32nd overall with a 316. Also finishing in the top-50 was Hughes who finished with an 81 on Friday for a tie of 35th.

Rhodes College regained the lead on the final day, overtaking George Fox for the National Championship. Christina Herbert from Bridgewater College earned the individual crown after rounds of 74-69-76-74 for a total of 293.

In 2013, CMS placed 11th at 1299 and prior to that, CMS was 14th in 2012 with the four-day team score of 1302.

Final Results

By Emily Nordhoff
Sports Information Director

CMS Email Updates
CMS Athletics on Facebook: AthleticsCMS
CMS Athletics on Twitter: AthleticsCMS
CMS Athletics on Instagram: cmsathletics
CMS Athletics YouTube: ClaremontMuddScripps
#goathenas    #gostags