Crystal River, Fla. - The outstanding season of Stetson women's golf freshman Alexandria Buelow (Palm City, Fla.) added another highlight on Saturday as she completed a wire-to-wire victory at the University of Cincinnati Spring Invitational. Buelow shot 75 in the final round to finish even par for 54 holes, two strokes ahead of runner-up Hailey Koschmann (Illinois). As a team, the Hatters took second at 41 over par, 12 strokes behind the Fighting Illini.
Buelow's title was her second on the year, joining a victory at the Hatter Fall Classic last November at Victoria Hills Golf Club. She led a field of 40 golfers in that tournament; this weekend Buelow out-paced 99 other entrants at Plantation Inn Golf Club for her eighth top-five finish in nine career events.
Joining Buelow in the top 10 was senior Danielle Jackson (Seminole, Fla.), who tied for eighth at 11 over par after a final round 78. Freshman Anna Hancock (Lakeland, Fla.) carded Stetson's best score of the day, a two over par 74, to move up into a tie for 33rd at +19. Senior Lauren Darnell (Gainesville, Ga.) and sophomore Lauren Cate (St. Augustine, Fla.) also finished in the top half of the field for the Hatter team. Junior Alex Banham (Birmingham, England), competing as an individual, tied for 28th place at 18 over par on the weekend.
Illinois won the team competition at 29 over par with the Hatters a dozen shots back in second place, themselves 15 strokes clear of third place Montana (+56). Rounding out the final standings were FGCU (+59), Florida Atlantic (+60), Memphis (+61), Florida Southern (+64), host Cincinnati (+74), Rutgers (+75), Embry-Riddle (+77), Jacksonville (+78), Houston Baptist (+82), South Dakota State (+86), UAB (+102), Ohio (+110), Dartmouth (+125), Hofstra (+156) and St. Andrew's Presbyterian (+338).
Stetson's final regular season event is coming up April 2-4 at the Morehead State Invitational in Ocala, Fla. Following that tournament, it will be time for the Hatters to defend their Atlantic Sun Conference title April 12-14 at Venetian Bay GC in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
