Southeastern University women’s golf won the SEU “Soucinek” Invite by 10 strokes at Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Lakeland, Florida. Southeastern finished at 46-over-par with rounds of 301, 305 and 304 during the Oct. 26-27 tournament. No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan finished second, while No. 10 Texas Wesleyan placed third at 77-over-par.
Southeastern led all eight teams with 159 pars and also topped the field in par-4 scoring. The team recorded 31 birdies, the second-most in the tournament. Its five golfers who finished in or tied for the top 10 helped produce the team championship.
Campbell finishes second individually
Sadaly Campbell climbed six positions on the final day to finish second at 9-over-par. She closed with an even-par 72, her best round of the tournament, and led the field with 11 birdies. Texas Wesleyan’s Makena Junkin, identified as the NAIA’s No. 1 golfer, won individual medalist honors at 2-over-par.
Campbell credited her approach to the wind for helping her handle the conditions at Grasslands. “I focused on trying to work with the wind, instead of fighting with it the whole time,” Campbell said. She also said her putting helped her manage the more difficult holes after she opened the tournament with three birdies.
“My putting game was working well, I started with three birdies in round one, so I was glad to have the bogey insurance for the tougher holes,” Campbell said. Her even-par final round supported her climb into the runner-up position. Campbell’s finish gave Southeastern its top individual result in the tournament.
Southeastern’s depth secures the title
Elisa Sembenini tied for third at 11-over-par and recorded 37 pars. Abbey Peterson tied for fifth at 14-over-par, while Rivers Common finished seventh at 15-over-par. Common also led the tournament in par-4 scoring with an average of 4.13 strokes.
Ava Bustos tied for 10th at 19-over-par to give Southeastern another top-10 finish. Avery Glenn tied for 18th at 23-over-par, Emma Tobias tied for 21st at 24-over-par and Mariana Espinosa finished 25th at 27-over-par. Those results added to the lineup’s overall consistency behind Campbell’s runner-up finish.
Joyner looks toward spring
Head coach David Joyner said the team’s progress during the fall has continued from tournament to tournament. “The whole squad just seems to get better as we go, and as we work into the spring we will continue to challenge them and I strongly believe they will get better as we go,” Joyner said. The fall schedule ended with Southeastern’s tournament victory.
Joyner also credited assistant coach Mark Joyner for helping the players through difficult holes. “I did want to shout out my brother and assistant coach, Mark Joyner, he did a great job out there, really helping the girls through some tough holes. Really thankful for all he did,” David Joyner said. Southeastern will continue with the spring portion of its season.
FSB Take
Southeastern’s victory was built on contributions throughout its lineup rather than one individual result. Campbell finished second, while Sembenini, Peterson, Common and Bustos also reached the top 10, and the team led the tournament in pars and par-4 scoring. Those verified strengths give Southeastern a clear foundation as it moves from its completed fall schedule into the spring portion of the season.
Source: Original report