Sports > March 27, 2008

By Donovan Carberry | Staff writer

After consecutive top-three finishes at the Liz Murphey Collegiate, No. 9 Wake Forest did not have as much luck this time around, as the women finished eighth out of 18 teams. The annual three-day tournament is held in Athens, Ga. and played on a par-72, 6,335 yard university golf course.

Tied for first after 54 holes, it came down to a two-hole playoff between Georgia and Purdue to decide the winner with the hometeam Bulldogs taking the title.

The Demon Deacons were represented by freshmen Alli Bodemann and Natalie Sheary, juniors Jean Chua and Nannette Hill and senior Laura Crawford.

Wake entered the tournament with the expectations of another top-three finish but ran into trouble on the course and finished the first round tied for eighth.

Things got a little uglier in round two after the team fell to 10th place. The team shot a 312, adding three strokes to their total from the first day.

Bodemann’s three-over 75 was the closest anyone on the team came to shooting even-par.

But on the final day of play, the Deacs shot an 18-over 306 and climbed back up to eighth place.

Individually, freshman Allie Bodemann had the best performance of the tournament for the Deacs.

She shot a three-over 75 in the final round, matching her second day score.

She finished 14th overall, shooting 12-over 228.

Fellow freshman Natalie Sheary had a comeback of her own, moving up eight spots after day two’s scores to finish tied for 33rd overall.

Junior Nannette Hill finished tied for 24th after shooting six-over 78, recording a three-day total of 232 (+16).

This is the first time she hasn’t placed in the top 20 since October.

Senior Laura Crawford shot a seven-over 79 in the final round while junior Jean Chua had her best performance of the tournament, a five-over 77.

Crawford finished tied for 43rd and Chua tied for 67th.

Purdue teammates Christel Boeljon and Maria Hernandez tied for first overall. Hernandez shot four-under 68 on the final day.

Next up for the Demon Deacons will be playing in the Bryan Park National Collegiate on March 28-30, which is hosted by Wake Forest and UNC-Greensboro.