NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. - Julia Lizak shot the lowest 18-hole score by a Saint Mary's golfer at an NCAA Championship in program history with a 71 as the Belles posted a 318 on Wednesday. Additionally, the 318 is the second-lowest 18-hole score by a Saint Mary's squad in an NCAA Championship round in program history.

 

The round was twice delayed by lightning and thunderstorms in the area, and the round was halted with 15 teams still needing to complete play. Full results and statistics 

 

Julia Lizak (t-10th) led the way for Saint Mary's with a one-under par 71 for the best 18-hole score in an NCAA Championship event by a player in program history. Her score breaks the previous record of 72 set by Doyle O'Brien in the 2012 NCAA Championships. Lizak also posted the lowest completed score of the day on Wednesday. The sophomore had five birdies - par three No. 4, par three No. 6, par three No. 12, par four No. 13, and par four No. 16 - to go along with nine pars. She did not have a score above a bogey in the round while going 35-36.

 

Katelyn Tokarz turned in a 79 (39-40) on day two to help pace the Belles and finished in a tie for 115th. Tokarz posted 12 pars in the round and did not have a score above a bogey over her final 16 holes of play.

 

Amanda Melling posted an 83 on Wednesday and ended the tournament tied for 91st. Melling had a birdie on par four No. 5, which had played as the most difficult hole on day one. The sophomore added nine pars in the round.

 

Colleen Hand carded an 85 to wrap up the team score and held a share of 121st in the field. Hand opened play with three consecutive pars and added four more pars during her round. 

 

Haley Angel shot an 89 on the day and finished tied for 102nd. She four pars and posted a birdie on par five No. 8 during the round.

 

The Belles currently sit in a tie for 17th place and will await the results of the completion of the second round to see if they will make the top-15 cut. Round two will be resumed at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Thursday (weather permitting) at Keene Trace Golf Club. 

 

 

 

Round two of the NCAA Division III Championships wrapped up just after noon on Thursday. The Belles narrowly missed the cut and finished tied for 16th - seven places higher than their original seeding for the tournament.

No. 4 ranked Emory holds the team lead through 36 holes after a 296 gave the Eagles a 591 two-round score. No. 1 ranked Carnegie Mellon is six strokes back with a 597 after posting a 299. Redlands, who was tied for seventh in the latest national ranking, moved up to third place with a 298 in the second round for a 605 36-hole score.

Emma Thorman from Illinois Wesleyan holds the 36-hole lead for the individual title after carding a 72 on day two for a 144. Ellen Dong from Emory and Sydney Kuo from Washington University in St. Louis are both one stroke back with a 145.

Julia Lizak, meanwhile, earned a spot in the individual competition for the final two days of the championships as the second-lowest scorer through 36 holes from a team not advancing to the final two days of play. Her 71 on day two was tied for the lowest score of the day. Lizak collected 10 birdies through 36 holes for the most birdies by any player in the field through two rounds of play. She was second in par three scoring (-2) and tied for third in par four scoring (+2) through two rounds. Her third round of play begins at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Thursday.