Simpson still in the mix heading into final round
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Simpson women's golf team maintained a firm grasp on fourth place heading into the fourth and final round of the IIAC Championships.
The par 71, 5,803 yard Elmcrest Country Club course kept its competitors at bay throughout the third round after only two teams, conference-leading Wartburg and 7th place Dubuque, managed to shoot a better score than either of the previous two rounds at Pheasant Ridge in Cedar Falls a week ago.
The aforementioned leader and defending IIAC champion Wartburg (+80) managed to outpace the competition in the third round by bettering its nearest competitor by over 40 strokes. It now opens up a 92 stroke lead heading into the fourth round over a log jam consisting of Luther (+172), Central (+175), and Simpson (+181) vying for second place. Wartburg currently holds the top four medalist spots with Rochelle Beardsley sitting atop the leaderboard at +14 with her teammate lurking two strokes behind.
Simpson brought a few big hitters of their own with three top-10 placeholders that include a trio of experienced seniors in Jennifer Gaffney (7), Stacy Bergeson (T9), and Jessica Lerdal (T9). They'll need to climb the IIAC ladder together as they are all separated by just three strokes at +37, +40, and +40 respectively. Molly Hill fills out Simpson's varsity in 26th place overall (+64).
Simpson's final round will begin at 11:40 Saturday morning as the Simpson seniors fight to improve upon their third place finish from a year ago.