Tait Goes Low As Seahawks Stay In The Hunt

Junior Ashley Tait posted a second-round low 71 to move into a four-way tie for second place in the second round of the UNC Greensboro Starmount Fall Classic Monday at the Starmount Country Club.

Tait (75-71=146) was the only golfer to shoot even par in the second round as she carded a four-stroke improvement over her opening round 75. She is part of a four-way deadlock in second as East Carolina’s Abby Bools maintained her opening-round lead despite shooting a 75 on the second day. Bools leads the field by three strokes with a one-over total of 143.

Junior Carmen Perez-Narbon (74-73=147) also made a move up the leader board as she posted a two-over total of 73 to move one shot behind Tait in a four-way tie for 6th at five-over-par 147. Sophomore Cristina Manrique (73-78=151) is tied for 16th while senior Christie Appleton (78-75=153) and freshman Sofia Hagsund (78-75=153) are part of an 11-way stalemate for 22nd to round out the Seahawks entry. Junior Sara Wagner (87-87=174), an individual entry for the event, posted an 87 for the second straight round and is 80th.

UNC Wilmington shot a team total 10-over-par 294 in the second round to maintain possession of third place with a two-round total of 594 (300-294), eight strokes better than Colonial Athletic Association rival Georgia State (301-301=602). Host UNC Greensboro (298-293=591) posted a team-low 291 on the second day to move past first-round leader East Carolina and into first place, holding a two-stroke lead over the Pirates (295-298=593).

The final round of the UNCG-Starmount Fall Classic is set to begin Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. The Seahawks are scheduled to tee off between 10:09 and 10:45 a.m.

UNCW results: T-2 Ashley Tait (75-71=146); T-6 Carmen Perez-Narbon (74-73=147); T-16 Cristina Manrique (73-78=151); T-22 Christie Appleton (78-75=153); T-22 Sofia Hagsund (78-75=153); 80 Sara Wagner (individual entry) (87-87=174).

Team results: 1 UNC Greensboro (298-293=591); 2 East Carolina (295-298=593); 3 UNC Wilmington (300-294=594); 4 Georgia State (301-301=602); 5 Florida International (307-300=607); T-6 Western Carolina (309-304-613); T-6 East Tennessee State (304-309=613); 8 James Madison (306-310=616); 9 South Florida (304-315=619); T-10 Augusta State (310-313=623); T-10 Illinois State (313-310=623); 12 Miami (316-310=626); 13 Elon (311-317=628); T-14 Mississippi State (314-317=631); T-14 Winthrop (314-317=631) -Courtesy UNCW

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT