Strong finish helps Women's Golf stand 21st of 29 after Day 1 of NCAA III Championships

Strong finish helps Women's Golf stand 21st of 29 after Day 1 of NCAA III Championships
May 21, 2024

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — Ohio Northern stands in 21st place out of 29 teams after the first round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Championships on a warm and breezy Tuesday at Keene Run Golf Course.

Senior Grace Honigford (West Chester/Lakota East) set a school NCAA III Championships record with a 2-over par 74 in the opening round to lead the Polar Bears.

| NCAA Championships Site |

The Basics

  • The Polar Bears carded a 326 to stand in 21th place out of 29 teams.
  • Emory (Ga.) leads the team standings with a 295, Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) is second with a 298 and Illinois Wesleyan and Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) are tied for third with 305s.
  • Ohio Northern finished the day strong, going just 2-over par over the final five holes as a team.
  • ONU Record: 72-35 Overall.
  • Venue: Keene Trace Golf Club (Keen Run Course) - Nicholasville, Ky.

ONU Individuals

  • Honigford is tied for 13th of 150 golfers on the par-72, 5826-yard course.
  • Fifth-year senior Torrie Smith (Kokomo, Ind./Western) and junior Amelia Burger (Centerville) are tied for 96th with first round 83s.
  • Junior Rhianna Firmstone (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) is tied for 117th with an 86.
  • Sophomore Marisa Alfes (Bellbrook) is tied for 125th with an 88.

Notables

  • Honigford has been Medalist 22 times in 46 career tournaments. 
  • Burger has one Medalist honor to her credit.
  • The tournament consists of 18 holes Tuesday-Friday.
  • The tournament will cut to the top 15 teams after the second round on Wednesday. The top six individuals not on teams that made the cut will also advance to the two final rounds.
  • Northern is nine shots off the team cut line, currently held by Washington & Lee (Va.) in 15th place with a 317.
  • Honigford and Smith were each 1-under par and Burger was even par in the final 5-hole stretch of the day.
  • Northern started on hole 10 and played through the heat of the day.
  • Ohio Northern received an automatic bid to the NCAA III Championships by winning the OAC Championships crown by five strokes over Otterbein.
  • The Polar Bears grabbed the OAC title for the third time in program history and the second time in the past four seasons
  • Head coach Chad Bucci is 444-283-2 in his 11th season at the helm of the ONU women's golf team, a winning percentage of .610.

Up Next

  • The Polar Bears will return to action Wednesday on day two the NCAA III Championships at Keene Trace Golf Course in Nicholasville, Ky.
  • Ohio Northern's tee-times will begin at 8:20 and go every 10 minutes through 9 am on hole #1.