Final Results

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's golf team reduced its cumulative score by 14 strokes in the second round of the 2017 Empire 8 Conference Championships on Sunday, but remained idle in the standings and took sixth place at the Ballston Spa Country Club.

The Soaring Eagles carded a team score of 396 (+108) in the second round for a two-day total of 810 (+234). EC finished two strokes ahead of seventh-place Rhode Island College and nine behind fifth-place Keuka College. Atop the team leaderboard was SUNY Cortland, who followed up its first-round 344 (+56) with a 338 (+50) on Sunday to finish with a sizable 83-stroke lead over runner-up Suffolk University, 682-to-765.

Five of the six Red Dragons who competed in this year's conference title tournament secured all five Empire 8 All-Conference First-Team awards by occupying the top-five spots on the leaderboard. Cortland's Tiffany Schapira (164, +20) and Hannah Fitzgerald (171, +27) finished one-two to claim medalist and runner-up honors.

Elmira's Audrey Clarke, who began the final round in fourth place, slipped two spots down the leaderboard to finish in sixth, making her the highest-rated player in the tournament not from SUNY Cortland. The product of Churchville, New York, amassed a two-day score of 179 (+35) after carding a 19-over-par 91 in the second round. Although she was 12-up at the turn, Clarke cleaned up nicely on the back nine. She began the final stretch by parring the 10th and 11th holes, and the senior standout was also even on the 483-yard, par-5 13th and the 128-yard, par-3 17th.

For her efforts, Clarke received E8 All-Conference Second Team accolades, adding her legacy as one of the best in EC history as the only women's golfer to earn All-Conference honors in all four collegiate seasons.

Meghan Fonfara '18 was Elmira's biggest mover up the leaderboard in the second round, as she climbed six spots to finish in a tie for 11th place. The senior from Elma, New York, concluded the second round just one stroke shy of joining Clarke on the All-Conference Second Team with a two-day total of 185 (+41). Her 17-over 89 was by the best score carded by a Soaring Eagles in the final round and tied for the seventh-lowest by any of the 62 participants on Sunday. Fonfara continued to excel on the par-3s by parring both the second and ninth holes. She trailed only Schapira by combining to conclude the 36-hole tournament a mere 4-up on the 10 par-3 holes.

Like her classmate, Alyssa Ogden '18 also jumped several places up the leaderboard en route to a 35th-place finish. The Fairport, New York, native reduced her score by 14 strokes on Sunday, as she carded a 100 (+28) for a combined score of 214 (+70). After struggling on the front nine during Saturday's opening round, Ogden was a whopping 12 strokes better on the front by turning in a 49 (+14) in the final round.

Cassie Chun '18 posted identical scores of 116 (+44) during both rounds, with both of her pars coming on par-3s on the front nine in the second round. Sarah Hiltbrand '19 climbed two spots to 58th by shaving seven strokes off of her score, resulting in a 133 (+61). She highlighted her second round by parring the 165-yard, par-3 15th hole.

Elmira Women's Results
6. Audrey Clarke - 88-91 - 179 (+35)
T-11. Meghan Fonfara - 96-89 185 (+41)
35. Alyssa Ogden - 114-100 - 214 (+70)
51. Cassie Chun - 116-116 - 232 (+88)
58. Sarah Hiltbrand - 140-133 - 273 (+129)

Team Results

1. SUNY Cortland - 344-338 - 682 (+106)
2. Suffolk - 381-384 - 765 (+189)
3. St. John Fisher - 397-379 - 776 (+200)
4. Johnson & Wales - 400-389 - 789 (+213)
5. Keuka - 403--398 - 801 (+225)
6. Elmira - 414-396 - 810 (+234)
7. Rhode Island - 426-386 - 812 (+236)
8. Utica - 447-400 - 847 (+271)
9. Westfield State - 444-409 - 853 (+277)
10. Husson - 461-421 - 882 (+306)
11. SUNY Canton - 480-460 - 940 (+364)
12. Nazareth - 454-DNF - DNF

News and Notes

• Elmira claimed sixth place out of 12 teams at the 2017 Empire 8 Conference Championships.
• Four of the top-five teams in the standings are in their first season as E8 women's golf affiliates, as were all of the top-five individual finishers, who were SUNY Cortland Red Dragons.
• EC shaved 14 strokes off of its first-round score on Sunday afternoon.
• The Purple and Gold carded the fourth-most pars in the 36-hole tournament with 29.
• The Soaring Eagles had the third-lowest average score on the par-3 holes with a 4.32.
• Fonfara and Clarke were second and third, respectively, in average score on par-3s at 3.40 and 3.70.
• Clarke garnered Empire 8 All-Conference accolades for the fourth consecutive season, the only Soaring Eagle to do so in all four years of her career.
• Fonfara tied her best finish in a conference title tournament by taking 11th place.

Up Next
The EC women's golf team has concluded the fall portion of its 2017-18 schedule. The Soaring Eagles will return to action in the spring following an extended break for the winter months. The entire spring schedule will be announced in the near future.