Sports
O’Rear leads UMHB to championship
Sunday, 29 April 2012 by Keith Bahlmann
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's golf team made it two straight American Southwest Conference championships by running away from the field in the final round of the ASC Tournament Tuesday in Lufkin. The Cru posted a 340-346=686 team total to beat second-place U.T.-Tyler's 361-356=717 by 31 strokes. Schreiner University took third place with a 352-377=729, Concordia Texas finished fourth with a 364-366=730 and McMurry University rounded out the top five with a 400-398=798. Texas Lutheran University finished in sixth place with a 409-393=802, Hardin-Simmons University claimed seventh with a 441-406=847 and U.T.-Dallas rounded out the field with a 466-466=932.
UMHB freshman Taylor O'Rear won the individual title with an 80-81=161 total. She is the first since Jenna Felchener won the 2007 title and is the sixth Cru individual champion overall. UMHB's Sara Eckert finished in second place with an 85-86=171, Kristen Cain finished in sixth place with a 91-86=177, Kelly Gonyea tied for seventh place with an 84-94=178 and Victoria Thane tied for 17th place with a 95-93=188 total.
O'Rear and Eckert were named to the ASC All-Conference First Team. Cain and Gonyea were Second Team ASC All-Conference selections. UMHB head coach Darla Kirby also took ASC Women's Golf Coach of the Year honors for the ninth time in her career.
The conference championship is the ninth overall for the Cru women.
