Lady Hawks tied for 3rd after three rounds at NAIA Championship
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. -- Shorter University shot a team total of 319 in Thursday's third round and currently stands in a tie for third place at the 2011 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship at Link Hills Golf and Country Club in Greeneville, Tenn.
The top-ranked Lady Hawks (+74) are right in the mix for a run at a first-ever national championship. Shorter is just seven shots back of tournament leader Embry-Riddle University (Fla.) after Embry-Riddle fired a 315 to finish the day at +67 for the championship.
The final round will take place on Friday with tee times yet to be determined at the time of this article's release.
California Baptist shot Thursday's low round of 312 to move back into contention -- CBU is +69 for the tournament and in second place.
Oklahoma City University is tied with Shorter for third and Lubbock Christian, which entered Thursday's third round as the leader, shot 324 to fall eight shots back of the leader.
Shorter ace Greta Lange shot her second consecutive round of 3-over 76 and currently sits in a tie for seventh with Laura Jones of Oklahoma City and Pia Jenko of Embry-Riddle. Lange has turned in a three-day total of 78-76-76-230 (+11) and is eight shots back of individual leaders Kylie Barros of British Columbia and Nathalie Silva of California Baptist.
Barros, who has led wire-to-wire, had her worst round of the championships on Thursday, completing the 18 holes at 2-over 75. She is +3 for the week.
Silva posted a second straight round of even-par 73 to move into the front of the pack alongside Barros at +3.
Shorter's Lisa Persson finished round three with an 81 and currently stands at +15 for the championships. Persson finds herself in 12th place entering Friday's final round.
Freshman Maria Bengtsson continued to improve with each round, firing a tournament low round of 77. She is tied for 35th with a three-day total of 241.
Petra Muller and Gabriela Murcia both ended round three with scores of 85. Muller is in 49th and Murcia is in 93rd with 18 holes remaining.
Shorter has history on its side as it tries to make a final push towards a team championship.
The Lady Hawks have yet to finish worse than runner-up in all 11 events they have participated in this season -- that run includes five tournament victories.