2010 NCAA Golf Championships - Day Four

Belles and Matuszak Finish Among Top of Nation's Elite

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. - The eighth ranked Saint Mary's golf team matched their highest finish and Natalie Matuszak took home a share of third place at the NCAA Division III Championships on Friday.

Matuszak finished up an outstanding individual effort in the tournament with an 82 on the day for a four-day total of 315 to tie Methodist's Alana Swain for third place and finish just two strokes behind the leader.  With the finish, the sophomore earned All-American honors.  Moreover, her score matches the best individual shot total of any Saint Mary's golfer to compete at the national championships (Stefanie Simmerman, 315 - 2003).  Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Jessica Urban was the individual national champion with a 313 over the week.  Methodist's Paige Caldwell finished second with a 314.

As a team, the Belles matched their best finish at the national tournament as they finished in fourth place after turning in a 337.  The team had a 1343 stroke total and edged out Southwestern (Texas) by three shots for the top-four honor.  The finish equals the 2004 squad's fourth place finish at the Division III finals.  Saint Mary's also placed above higher ranked DePauw (#5), George Fox (#6), and Illinois Wesleyan (#7).

Methodist University claimed their 13th consecutive national championship and their 23rd overall title with a four-day score of 1282 after a 317 on Friday.  Gustavus Adolphus finished in second with a 1301 and Wisconsin-Eau Claire took third with a 1307.

Mary Kate Boyce cut four strokes off of her score from yesterday to finish with an 81.  Her score of 322 was good enough for ninth place overall, which also earned her All-American accolades.  It is the first time that two Saint Mary's golfers have finished in the top ten at the Division III Championships.

Rosie O'Connor turned in her second straight 86 to finish tied for 68th with a 355.  Perri Hamma had a 90 in her final round for the Belles to finish with a 358 while tying for 75th.  Christine Brown had the biggest improvement from Thursday to Friday by cutting eight strokes off of yesterday's score to card an 88 and finish with a stroke total of 370 and 90th place.