The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Rio Verde Collegiate
Nicholson Wins Rio Verde Invitational, Zips Place 11th Overall
February 26 | Women's Golf
Follow Zips Women's Golf on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram | Follow Coach King on Twitter
GolfStat Live Scoring | Round 3 Pairings | Leaderboard: Team | Player
Rio Verde, Ariz. – Sophomore Danielle Nicholson (Geneva, Ohio) fired an even-par 72 final round en route to winning the Rio Verde Invitational. The win marks Nicholson's second medalist performance of the year as she led the Zips to an 11th place finish at the par-72 White Wing course stretches 6,215 yards on Sunday.
Nicholson entered the final 18-holes in second place with a 73-70 – 143 (-1) tournament total, trailing the leader, Chandler Gallagher of Missouri-Kansas City, by two strokes (69-72 – 141 (-3)). Nicholson carded three birdies and three bogeys with 12 par scores for the even 72 score, while Gallagher recorded a 75 (+3) final round for runner-up honors. Nicholson finished the Rio Verde Invitational with a tournament-best 1-under par 215-stroke 54-hole total. Gallagher recorded an even-par 216 three-round total.
The Zips finished 11th overall with a 918 (+54) tournament score that included three consecutive rounds of 306 (+18) team scores. Nicholson led the way all three rounds, while the Zips received a pair of 77 (+5) final round scores from junior Pader Her (Holt, Mich.) and sophomore Makayla Dull (Fremont, Ohio).
Her finished the tournament tied for 49th overall with scores of 74 (+2), 81 (+9), and 77 (+5) for a 232 (+16) total, while Dull completed the three-day event ranked 60th with 78-79-77 – 234 (+18) scores.
Senior Alejandra Velasco-Villanueva (Guadalajara, Mexico) and freshman Allyson Wentworth (Stewartsville, N.J.) followed with scores of 80 (+8) and 85 (+13), respectively. Velasco-Villanueva ended the tournament 81st overall with a 81-79-80 – 240 (+24) total, and Wentworth was 95th with 84-78-85 – 247 (+31) scores.
Junior Mallory Etcheberry (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), playing as an individual, climbed six spots on the leaderboard during the final day with the Zips second-best round of 76 (+4). Etcheberry carded an 84-82-76 – 242 (+26) three-round total to finish 87th overall.
Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois both climbed one spot in the team standings to finish first and second. EMU claimed the team title with rounds of 300 (+12), 297 (+9), and 293 (+5) for a 889 (+25). NIU earned runner-up with 300-299-294 – 893 (+29).
The Akron Zips women's golf team will be back in action on Monday and Tuesday, March 13-14, at the Bradley Spring Invite in Dallas, Texas. The two-day, 54-hole event is scheduled to be played at Brookhaven Country Club.
Top 5 Teams
1 Eastern Michigan (+25) 300-297-292 – 889
2 Northern Illinois (+29) 300-299-294 – 893
3 UMKC (+31) 295-296-304 – 895
4 Central Arkansas (+34) 309-293-296 – 898
5 Wichita State (+35) 306-296-297 – 899
Top 5 Players
1 Danielle Nicholson, Akron, (-1) 73-70-72 – 215
2 Chandler Gallagher, UMKC, (E) 69 72 75 216
3 Sofia Anokhina, Northern Arizona, (+1) 70-74-73 – 217
4 Shania Berger, Little Rock, (+2) 76-75-67 – 218
5 Isabella Samudio, Northern Illinois (+3) 76-70-73 – 219
Players Mentioned
