St. Ambrose Claims First-Ever Women's Golf Championship

DAVENPORT, Iowa --- Landing four players among the top ten finishers, St. Ambrose University claimed its first-ever Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championship on Tuesday afternoon at TPC Deere Run by edging out Olivet Nazarene University for the crown.  The Fighting Bees scored a 717 to Olivet Nazarene's 721.

St. Ambrose held an 11-stroke lead with its 351 following the first round and finished with a 366 on Day 2 for its two-day total.  After recording a 362 on Monday, Olivet Nazarene rallied to close the gap with its 359 on Tuesday, but came up just short in its title bid.

Judson University was next in line at 748 (379-369) with Saint Xavier University rounding out the four-team event at 796 (404-392).

Olivet Nazarene's Mara Bakke captured medalist honors at the Championships by shooting identical rounds of 83 for a two-day total of 166.  Those were the lowest rounds on each day and provided her with an 11-stroke win.

St. Ambrose's top four spots were claimed by Katherine Speer, Gabrielle Langlois, Amara Lytle and Aleanna Mendoza.  Speer garnered runner-up honors with her 177 (88-89), while Langlois was both one stroke and one spot back with her 178 (92-86) as part of a four-way tie for third place.

Joining Langlois in that grouping were Saint Xavier's Emily Hunt (90-88), Olivet Nazarene's Lizzie Howard (90-88) and Judson's Grace Kidwell (91-87).

Lytle and Mendoza tied for ninth place at 186.  Lytle posted rounds of 86 and 100, while Mendoza had scores of 85 and 101. 

Just in front of them were Olivet Nazarene's Alexandria Jones in seventh place at 180 (90-90) and Judson's Hannah Ogden in eighth at 183 (92-91) to round out the Top 10 scorers in the field of 27 total competitors.

With the meet title, St. Ambrose advances to the NAIA National Championships, which it coincidentally will host at TPC Deere Run again on May 14-17.