Belles Battle Back Into Top Ten

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - With a ten stroke improvement from yesterday's score (330), the Saint Mary's College golf team moved up to 10th place at the NCAA Division III Championships with one round left to play. The Belles currently have a combined score of 992 through 54 holes of play.

Defending national champion extended their lead over the 21-team field with another 310 for a three-day total of 941. The host Monarchs hold a 19 stroke lead over second place Wisconsin-Stevens Point (960) heading into the final day of competition.

Emily Gore led the way for the second time in three days with a sub-80 performance. The sophomore shot a 79, which included a pair of birdies, to move up into a tie for 26th place.

Classmates Mary Kate Boyce and Rosie O'Connor both shot rounds of 83. Boyce is tied for 40th while O'Connor holds a share of 67th. Freshman Natalie Matuszak shot an 85 and senior Meredith Fantom had an 86 to round out the day three performances for the Belles.

The Belles will look to finish strong in the final day of competition as they begin play Saturday morning at 8:20 a.m. Heading into Saturday, only 12 strokes separate the Belles and current fifth place Wisconsin Eau-Claire. To see a complete list of scores and places by teams and individuals, please visit www.golfstat.com or http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/leaderboards/team/static/team_players_1501.html.

Note: The highest team finish the Belles accomplished in their three previous appearances in the NCAA Championships was 4th place in 2003.

Day Three Results and Standings