Wong jumps into Top 20 at OVC Championship

Blake Nash, Staff Reporter

Eastern sophomore Chloe Wong made a big jump on Tuesday in the second round of the Ohio Valley Conference women’s championship.

Wong not only passed fellow sophomore Alexandra Pickens for the team lead, but also cracked the top 20 in individual play.

Wong finished the day with a 4-over 76 in the second round of the tournament. She began the tournament tied for 28th place on Monday, while hitting eight-over-par, but she moved up in the rankings after another day of play.

Pickens, who ended first-round action tied for 17th place, ended Tuesday’s action tied for 36th. She shot a 12-over 84 in round two of the tournament.

Eastern still sits in eighth place in the tournament after hitting 28-over-par on Tuesday. The Panthers have hit for 67-over-par for the entire tournament.

The second round of the tournament ended very similarly for team-leading Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks continued their success, as the team ended Tuesday’s portion of the tournament with a four-stroke lead over Eastern Kentucky.

As a team, the Gamecocks scored 13-over-par and were led by juniors Melanie Bajo Geijo and Erin Gunnels. Geijo hit six-over-par, including four birdies, as she increased her two-day total to seven-over-par. She has totaled 73 strokes over the last two days of the tournament.

Gunnels finished her previous day with a total of 76 strokes, and she finished Tuesday’s play with another 76. She also hit four-over-par for the second straight day. Both she and Geijo finished the day hitting four-over-par on their last three holes.

Gamecock freshman Natalia Azcue also joined that duo in the individual top 10 rankings, as she hit two-over-par a day after going six-over-par for the Gamecocks. She finished the day shooting a 2-over 74.

Tennessee Tech sophomore Whitney Robertson continues to lead individual play, hitting four-over-par in the tournament. However, she has some company at the top of the leaderboard. Morehead State sophomore Anna Magnusson has tied Robertson for the lead with 145 strokes.

Robertson hit two-under-par in the first round and ended the second round with a three-over-par performance. Magnusson also hit two-over-par Monday but hit one-under-par Tuesday. She had 74 strokes on Monday and 71 strokes in Tuesday’s second round.

Both their teams are still in the driver’s seat for the OVC championship. Robertson’s Golden Eagles are currently in third place after hitting for 16-over-par in the second round and are now 32-over-par for the tournament. Magnusson’s Eagles are tied for fourth place with in-state rival Murray State at 618 strokes apiece.

The Racers’ Minta Yin is in third place with 148 strokes, while hitting four-over-par at the tournament. The sophomore has hit for two-over-par in both days’ action.

Wednesday marks the last day of the OVC women’s championship. It will begin at 8 a.m. in Owens Crossroads, Ala.

Blake Nash can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].