SANDESTIN, Fla. – Strong top-10 finishes by junior
Joliana Elias and sophomore
Melany Chong highlighted Appalachian State's final round at the 2018 Sun Belt Women's Golf Championship on Tuesday at The Raven Club.
Elias, who hails from Jamestown, N.C., shot a 2-over 73 on Tuesday to give her a three-day total of 224 (72-79-73). That was good enough for a tie for fifth place out of 54 Sun Belt golfers. She earned her second straight top-five conference performance and Sun Belt All-Tournament Team honor after a third-place showing last season. Behind a tournament-high 41 pars, she finished just two strokes shy of this year's third-place performer.
Chong, from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, led the Mountaineers with her even-par round of 71 in Tuesday's finale. Her three-round total of 226 (76-79-71) landed her in a tie for 10th place, her first career top-10 Sun Belt showing. She tied for 12th at last year's event as a freshman.
This is the second time App State has placed two golfers in the top 10 of the Sun Belt Women's Championship, having done so in its first Sun Belt appearance in 2015.
As a team, App finished ninth with an overall score of 930 (307-323-300), posting its best round of the week in Tuesday's finale. Senior
Annika Winebarger (244), freshman
Abby Bolt (245) and junior
Patricia Thompson (248) were the other participants for the Mountaineers.
"We had a solid finish today, which was great to end on," head coach Heather Brown said. "We just gave too many shots back yesterday to finish where we were hoping. The girls gave it all they had today, and that is all I can ask of them as a coach."
Coastal Carolina claimed the Sun Belt championship over defending champion Troy. Nationally ranked Malene Krolboll Hansen of Coastal was the individual medalist with a 2-under 211 for the week.
Sun Belt Women's Golf Championship Team Results
1. Coastal Carolina - 297-286-289-872 (+20)
2. Troy - 300-306-300-906 (+54)
3. Georgia Southern - 299-318-297-914 (+62)
4. Texas State - 310-312-293-915 (+63)
T5. South Alabama - 323-307-291-921 (+69)
T5. Arkansas State - 311-313-297-921 (+69)
T5. Georgia State - 315-309-297-921 (+69)
8. UT Arlington - 307-306-312-925 (+73)
9. App State - 307-323-300-930 (+78)
10. Little Rock - 327-319-315-961 (+109)
11. ULM - 321-335-311-967 (+115)
Sun Belt Women's Golf Championship Individual Top 10
1. Malene Krolboll Hansen, Coastal Carolina – 73-69-69-211 (-2)
2. Sena Ersoy, Coastal Carolina – 77-70-69-216 (+3)
3. Ansley Bowman, Georgia Southern – 75-78-69-222 (+9)
4. Paula Zabarte, Georgia State – 73-77-73-223 (+10)
T5. Joliana Elias, App State – 72-79-73-224 (+11)
T5. Chloe Howard, Georgia State – 76-76-72-224 (+11)
T5. Marie Lunackova, Coastal Carolina – 74-77-73-224 (+11)
T8. Frantiska Lunackova, Coastal Carolina – 77-70-78-225 (+12)
T8. Ava Schwienteck, UT Arlington – 74-75-76-225 (+12)
T10. Melany Chong, App State – 76-79-71-226 (+13)
T10. Aracelly Jimenez Rios, Arkansas State – 77-77-72-226 (+13)
T10. Sasikarn Somboonsup, Texas State – 72-84-70-226 (+13)
T10. Caroline Berge, South Alabama – 78-77-71-226 (+13)
T10. Lindsey Harrison, Troy – 71-75-80-226 (+13)
