TROJANS CLAIM FIRST-EVER CROSSROADS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
LANSING, Mich. – The Taylor women’s golf team erased an 8-shot deficit on Tuesday to claim the program’s first-ever Crossroads League Championship.
The Trojans tallied the lowest team score of the championship’s final round on Tuesday with a 339 in cold, windy conditions at Eagle Eye Golf Club. Freshman Maddie Thomas, voted the Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year following the tournament, led the way for TU with a final round score of 80 to tie for the lowest round of the day.
Taylor also counted an 84 from Raquel Helton, an 87 from junior Grace Elenbaas, and an 88 from sophomore Elizabeth Jackson while senior Brittany Pfaff totaled a 90.
TU entered the final round in second place trailing No. 23 Marian by eight shots. However, the Knights, winners of each of the last four Crossroads League Championships, struggled on the final day with a team score of 352 to finish in third place. Taylor and Indiana Wesleyan battled it out down the stretch on Tuesday afternoon with the Trojans edging IWU by four shots 1,007-1,011.
Thomas’s three round total of 237 (78-79-80) earned the Westlake, Ohio native a second place finish, eight shots behind Marissa Singer of Saint Francis, as well as All-Crossroads League honors. Helton finished in seventh place at 253 (83-86-84) to also earn All-Crossroads League honors along with senior Brittany Pfaff who finished tied for 10th at 257 (87-80-90). TU coach Cameron Andry was also voted the 2017 Crossroads League Coach of the Year.
With the victory the Trojans earn the Crossroads League’s automatic bid to the 2017 NAIA National Championship scheduled for May 23-26 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.