Springfield, Tenn. – True freshman Elizabeth Lohbauer led Western Carolina's resurgent performance in the season-opening K&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate on Tuesday, placing in a two-way tie for fourth in her collegiate debut to guide the Catamounts to a third-place team finish. She was joined in the top 10 by senior classmate Madison Isaacson who came home tied for eighth for the Catamounts.
 
Lohbauer advanced five spots in the final standings on Tuesday with an even-par final round of 72 for a three-round score of 221. The Venice, Fla., native was a picture of consistency over the last 18 holes, carding 16-consecutive pars after countering a bogey on her first hole of the day – the par-4 ninth – with a birdie on the very next hole, the par-4 10th.
 
Isaacson was WCU's biggest mover over the final round, climbing seven spots in the final individual standings with her sixth Top 10 finish for the Purple & Gold. The Greensboro, N.C., product countered three birdies with a pair of birdies. After making the turn at 1-over par, Isaacson birdied the par-5 first to move back to even par, where she remained until a bogey on the 54th hole of the event.
 
Rounding out WCU's scoring five on Tuesday were junior Victoria Ladd, up five spots into 14th with a score of 228, while freshman Kaitlyn Wingnean (234) finished tied for 28th and redshirt freshman Kayleigh Baker (246) in a tie for 44th as both made their collegiate debut. Ladd had three birdies in the tournament including two on Tuesday. Wingnean posted her career-best round of 3-over par 75 over the last 18 holes, countering five bogeys with a pair of birdies. Baker advanced three positions in the final round.
 
With Lohbauer and Isaacson finishing tied for second in the field with 38 pars apiece, WCU led the tournament field with a combined 176 pars as a team. Lohbauer led the Catamounts with eight birdies over the 54-hole event.
 
Slipping into the runner-up spot through 36 holes after leading through the first round on Monday, Belmont rallied back to the top of the heap to claim the team championship by three strokes over second-place Jacksonville State, 886-to-889. WCU was third with a score of 902, followed by tournament-host Austin Peay (903) in fourth and a two-way tie between Murray State and Indiana State at 914.
 
Belmont claimed two-thirds of the podium with the individual medalist and runner-up finisher at the event. Kendall Maynard carded a 2-under par score of 214 to edge teammate Delia Gibbs (216) by two strokes. Indiana State's Lauren Green came home third with a three-round score of 220.
 
Western Carolina returns to action in match-play at the Aggie Invitational hosted by North Carolina A&T, Oct. 4-5 at the Bryan Park Players Course in Greensboro, N.C.
 
3 – Western Carolina – 318 – 290 – 294 = 902 (+38)
T4 – Elizabeth Lohbauer – 78 – 71 – 72 = 221 (+5)
T8 – Madison Isaacson – 79 – 72 – 73 = 224 (+8)
14 – Victoria Ladd – 80 – 74 – 74 = 228 (+12)
T28 – Kaitlyn Wingnean – 81 – 78 – 75 = 234 (+18)
T44 – Kayleigh Baker – 93 – 73 – 80 = 246 (+30)