Loncki Wins Individual Honors, Athenas Take Second-Straight SCIAC Title
CHINO HILLS, Calif. – The No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf team had all but clinched their second-straight SCIAC Championship before Tuesday's final round even started, holding an 84 stroke lead over second-place Pomona-Pitzer in the chase for the Conference Title heading into the final day. CMS slammed the door on the conference with a team score of 19-over, 307 on Tuesday at Los Serranos Country Club to clinch their second-straight, and fifth overall, SCIAC Title in program history. Margaret Loncki (CMC) led the Athenas by winning medalist honors in the Tournament for the second time in her career. With a three-day total of 220 (+4), Loncki claimed the honors by three strokes over Redlands' Caroline Ordian (223, +7).
A total of five Athenas finished in the top six positions as CMS ended the three-day tournament with a team score of 900 (+36), 53 strokes better than second-place Chapman on the week and 95 shots ahead of Pomona-Pitzer in the overall SCIAC Championship race.
Day Three Update – Athenas win by 53 strokes (299-294-307—900, +36)
With a two-over round of 74 on Tuesday, Margaret Loncki locked up her second career SCIAC Individual Title with a three-round total of 220 (+4) in the Championship. Loncki made 13 pars as well as a pair of birdies in her final round to tie for the team lead among the six golfers qualified to score in the Championships. Her first SCIAC Individual Title came during her freshman season in 2015.
Competing as an individual, Taylor Hughes (CMC) turned in the best round for the Athenas on Tuesday with a one-over, 73. Hughes made four birdies on the day including three on the front nine to play her first nine holes at three-under par.
Mira Yoo (CMC) matched Loncki with a two-over, 74 on Tuesday. Yoo made a pair of birdies on the day, with red numbers on the sixth and 10th holes highlighting her round. Yoo got better each day of the Tournament, shooting a 77 (+7) on Sunday, a 75 (+3) on Monday, and a 74 (+2) on Tuesday to finish alone in third place with a three-day total of 226 (+10).
Emma Kang (CMC) ended the Championship week with an 80 (+8) on Tuesday to finish in fifth place at +14 for the tournament. Kang made a pair of birdies in her final round with a two at the par-three second and a three at the par-four 13th.
Kelly Ransom (CMC) and Emily Attiyeh (CMC) tied for sixth on the week at 15-over. Ransom ended her tournament with a round in the 70s, posting a seven-over, 79 on Tuesday. Attiyeh struggled with the putter at times during the final round, but carded a round of 81 (+9) on Tuesday to close out the Championship.
Camille Simon (HMC) finished in 18th place after shooting a 10-over, 82 on Tuesday. With Simon's 18th-place finish, CMS had all seven of their golfers finish in the top-20 on the week.
As mentioned, the Athenas claimed their fifth SCIAC Championship in program history and second-straight with 2,128 strokes across the seven conference rounds. Pomona-Pitzer (2,223) finished in second-place, 95 strokes off the Athenas' pace. Chapman (2,272), Cal Lutheran (2,273), and Whittier (2,279) rounded out the top-five in the SCIAC Standings this season.
By winning the SCIAC Championships, the Athenas earned the conference's Automatic Qualifier (AQ) to the National Championships. The National Tournament will take place at Mission Hills Resort Golf Club at Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. from May 8-11.
Second Round Update - Athenas lead by 37 strokes (299-294—593, +17)
The Athenas set a program record with a 299 (+11) on Sunday to begin the 2018 SCIAC Championships. That record held for about 24 hours until they went even lower on Monday with a six-over, 294 in the Second Round. Heading into the Final Round the Athenas lead the Tournament by a staggering 37 strokes and are the only team in the tournament to shoot a round under 310.
In the overall race for the SCIAC Championships, the Athenas hold an 84-stroke advantage over Pomona-Pitzer, the second-place team. Cal Lutheran, who is second this week with a team score of 630, trails CMS in the overall SCIAC Championship chase by 126 strokes and sits in third-place overall.
On Monday, the Athenas showcased they depth by counting four scores that were under 75 (+3). Every golfer that took the course for the Athenas, including Taylor Hughes (CMC), who competed as an individual, carded a score of five-over par or better. Emily Attiyeh (CMC) led the effort on Day Two with a two-under, 70. Her round of two-under was a 10-stroke improvement over her eight-over, 80 on Sunday and jumped the freshman into a tie for third at six-over for the Championship.
Attiyeh was consistent all day long. She made 14 pars and recorded birdies on the seventh, 13th, and 17th holes. He lone blemish of the day came on her finale hole where she took a bogey, five to end her round at two-under, the lowest in the 46-player field on Monday.
Emma Kang turned in the second-best round for the Athenas on the day with a two-over, 74. Much like Attiyeh, Kang was a model of consistency on the afternoon. She went out in 36 strokes after making seven pars, a bogey, and a birdie on the front nine. On the back she made just two bogies to go along with seven pars for a round of two-over, 74, two shots better than her 76 (+4) on Sunday.
Mira Yoo (CMC) and Kelly Ransom (CMC) both turned in rounds of 75 (+3), while each making a pair of birdies on the day. Yoo made her birdies right off the bat, putting red numbers on the card on the first and second holes. Ransom on the other hand saved her birdies until the back, where she back-to-back threes on the 12th and 13th holes.
Camille Simon (HMC) fired a 76 (+4) for the Athenas in the Second Round. She went out in 39 (+3) before making two birdies on the back en route to a one-over, 37 on the back.
Margaret Loncki (CMC) holds the 36-hole lead by three shots heading into the Final Round on Tuesday, but her round of 77 (+5) on Monday was not counted in the Athenas' team score, highlighting the depth of this CMS team. Loncki made three birdies on the day and will play in the final group of the Tournament tomorrow. She will be looking to win her second individual Title in her career after claiming medalist honors as a freshman back in 2015.
Competing as an individual, Taylor Hughes carded a 74 (+2) on Tuesday and is one of the seven Athenas to rank in the top-20 in the field this week. Not only do the Athenas have all seven of their golfers in the top-20, but heading into the final round, five Athenas are within six strokes of the lead and sit in the top-six.
CMS will look to claim the fifth SCIAC Championship in program history tomorrow when they take the course at Los Serranos. As mentioned, the Athenas lead second-place Pomona-Pitzer by 84 strokes heading into the final round of SCIAC play.
The Athenas will close out the Championships tomorrow morning with tee times beginning at 9:21 a.m. for CMS.
First Round Update - Athenas lead by 15 strokes (299, +11)
The Athenas turned in the first-ever round under 300 in program history on Sunday afternoon, carding an 11-over, 299 on the first day of the SCIAC Championships. The record-setting rounds gives the Athenas a 15-stroke cushion over second-place Cal Lutheran (314, +26) after one day of competition. Margaret Loncki (CMC) currently leads the individual leaderboard after shooting a three-under, 69 on Monday. Loncki went out in 39 (+3), but made six birdies on her last eight holes to score the lowest round of the day by seven strokes.
After two pars to start the day, Loncki made a bogey on the third before making a birdie on the fourth to remain even. A par of the fifth put Loncki even through five holes, but three bogies in the final four holes of the front nine got Loncki out in 39 strokes (+3). Back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th holes got the Athenas top player back on track before a birdies on the par-five 14th hole pushed her to even on the round. Three-straight birdies on the final three holes closed out the round for Loncki with a three-under, 69. In total, the senior made seven birdies on the day and six in her final eight holes to lead the tournament by seven strokes heading into the second round of the week.
It was more than just Loncki's late push that propelled the Athenas on the day, all four of CMS' scoring players finished in the top five on the day with scores of 77 (+5) or better.
Despite not making a birdie on the day, Emma Kang (CMC) turned in the second-best round for the Athenas on the afternoon with a four-over, 76. Kang collected 14 pars in the round, including separate streaks of five and six straight pars. She was consistent all round, going out in 38 (+2) before matching her score on the back with another two-over, 38. Kang is tied for second-place with Redlands' Caroline Ordian and Chapman's Emily Lewis, seven shots off of the lead set by Loncki.
Just one stroke behind Kang are a pair of Athenas after Day One of the Tournament. Mira Yoo (CMC) and Kelly Ransom (CMC) both carded rounds of 77 (+5) and sit in a four-way tie for fifth with Cal Lutheran's Hanna Pasco and Erica Mitchell. Yoo made a birdie on each nine, carding a two on the par-three second and a three on the 445-yard, par-four 13th. Ransom ended her round on a high note, making her only birdie of the day on her final hole. She did collected 12 pars in the round to shoot a solid, five-over, 77.
Emily Attiyeh (CMC) shot an eight-over, 80 on Sunday with matching 40s on both the front and back nines. Camille Simon (HMC) finished with an 85 (+13) in the first round and recorded a birdie on the par-four, 445-yard 13th hole.
Competing as an individual, Taylor Hughes (CMC) shot an 87 (+15) with a birdie on the par-three sixth.
After Day One of the SCIAC Championships, the Athenas hold a 15-stroke lead over Cal Lutheran in the Tournament. The SCIAC Champion is determined by the overall lowest team score across the seven rounds of SCIAC play over the course of the season. With that in mind, the Athenas currently hold a 55-stroke lead over second-place Pomona-Pitzer heading into the final two rounds of play.
Check this story throughout the week for updates on the Athenas as they search for their fifth overall and second-straight SCIAC Championship.
