Chippewas Tie For 8th In Fall Finale

Tuesday, October 22

Birmingham, Mich.

Central Michigan University

Chippewa Invitational

CMU coach Jim Earle talks to his players in a team huddle on Tuesday before the final round of the Chippewa Invitational at Birmingham Country Club.

Photo by: Andy Sneddon

10/22/2019 5:32:00 PM | Women's Golf

Inaugural Chippewa Invitational Draws Raves

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – Not the way that coach Jim Earle or any of his players necessarily would have scripted it.

Still, even a disappointing tie for eighth place in the inaugural Chippewa Invitational did not dampen the general excitement and the enthusiasm surrounding the Central Michigan golf program and the performance it put together in five fall tournaments.

The Chippewas shot 335 to finish with a 657 team total on Tuesday in the second and final round of the 13-team invitational, which was played at blustery Birmingham Country Club. The Chippewas began the Tuesday's round tied for eighth place with Detroit Mercy and finished in the same position, sharing the No. 8 spot with the Titans.

"There's not a team out there that starts four freshmen and that is going to have consistency be their strong point," said Earle, whose team returns to competition with the Mid-American Conference Match Play in Florida in early February. "We played like freshmen this week and it showed, and that's something we can learn from."

Western Michigan, which began the day with a six-shot lead, posted a 313 team total on Tuesday to win with a 36-hole 613 total. Bradley (308-309–617) was second, while Grand Valley State (306-312—618) was third.

Grand Valley State senior Katie Chipman shot a 3-under par 69 on Tuesday to finish with a 141 total and claim medalist honors. Bradley's Taylor Ledwein finished second, four shots back.

Junior Meghan Deardorff led the Chippewas with a tie for 27^th place as she finished with a 161 total. Deardorff opened on Monday with an 80 and followed on Tuesday with an 81.

Also for CMU, Padgett Chitty (79-86—165) finished among a group tied for 34^th, Zoe Vartyan (80-86—166) was among a group tied for 38^th, Claudia Salvador (85-82—167) tied for 43^rd, and Ashley Liles (83-87—170) tied for 56^th. All four are freshmen completing their first half season of collegiate golf.

CMU's Rachel Leucuta and Julia Bice played in the tournament as individuals. Leucuta finished along with Salvador in the group in 43^rd place after shooting 82-85—167. Bice posted a 188 total (93-96).

It was the first tournament that CMU has hosted since the program's resurrection in 2014-15.

"Everything from the golf course to the golf club staff to the dozens and dozens of volunteers, I think we put on the best tournament that I've ever been to in my coaching career," said Earle, who is in his second year at CMU and 17^th in coaching college golf. "And that was the feedback we were getting from all of the players and coaches as well."

The Chippewas wrapped up the best half season in program history, highlighted by a team tournament title at the Oakland Golden Grizzlies Invitational and by Salvador's performance a week ago at the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodon Fall Invitational, when she became the first Chippewa to claim medalist honors.

The Chippewas also finished runner-up and in third place in tournaments this fall.

"We're really, really young and I think that's the biggest thing," Earle said. "Besides the success we had, we got a lot of experience and that's huge for us. These women are only going to get better over time and with hard work."