Burlington, N.C. – Western Carolina junior
Elsa Maren Steinarsdóttir capped a record-setting tournament with a career-best third-place finish Tuesday, leading the Catamounts to fifth place as the Elon Women's Invitational concluded at Alamance Country Club.
After opening the tournament with back-to-back career-low rounds on Monday, Steinarsdóttir entered the final round atop the individual leaderboard and extended her advantage through the opening 10 holes Tuesday. However, a stretch of three consecutive bogeys on holes 13-15 tightened the race, and despite closing with five straight pars, the Iceland native settled for her first career podium finish.
Western Carolina finished fifth in the 15-team field with a three-round score of 888 in the program's first appearance at the event.
Steinarsdóttir opened the tournament with a career-low 2-under-par 70 and followed with an even better performance in the second round, carding a career-best 3-under 68. She recorded four birdies in each of Monday's rounds and played her final 32 holes of the day at 7-under par.
In Tuesday's final round, Steinarsdóttir erased an early bogey with birdies at the par-5 sixth and par-3 eighth holes to maintain her lead. The junior remained atop the standings until three straight bogeys on Nos. 13, 14, and 15 dropped her back into the pack. She recovered to finish with five consecutive pars for a final-round 73 and a 54-hole total of 2-under-par 211.
Steinarsdóttir paced the tournament field in par-4 scoring at even par (4.00) and tied for eighth in par-5 scoring at 3-under par (4.67). Her 10 birdies ranked third in the field, while her 36 pars were tied for fifth.
Elon's
Lilli Downer and
Abigail Avallone shared medalist honors at 3-under-par 210, one stroke clear of Steinarsdóttir. Wofford's
Sofia Pedrero finished fourth at 214, while Elon's
Emma Hansen rounded out the top five at 215.
With three players finishing among the top 10, host Elon claimed the team title with an 861 total, 21 strokes ahead of runner-up William & Mary (882). Wofford (884) placed third, followed by Howard (887) and Western Carolina (888).
Freshman
Marissa Scaletta posted the Catamounts' biggest move during the final round, climbing 18 places into a tie for 18th after firing a 1-over-par 72. The Belton, S.C., native offset three bogeys with a pair of birdies, including one on her opening hole and another on her final hole of the round. Scaletta matched Steinarsdóttir for the team lead with 36 pars over the 54-hole event.
Freshman
Kelsey Haverluck finished in a seven-way tie for 25th at 225, followed by junior
Annalee Caveney in a tie for 39th at 230 and freshman
Julia Capellini in a tie for 68th at 244. Haverluck recorded eight birdies during the tournament, while Caveney added six and Capellini finished with five.
Western Carolina returns to action in two weeks at the Tot Hill Farm Invitational in Asheboro, N.C. Hosted by the College of Charleston, the 54-hole event begins with 36 holes on Monday, Sept. 28, before concluding with the final round on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
For updates throughout the tournament and the latest information on all WCU Athletics programs, follow the Catamounts on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports; fb.com/catamountwgolf), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts; @catamountwgolf) and X (@Catamounts; @CatamountWGolf).
Western Carolina (5th, 888)
3 –
Elsa Maren Steinarsdóttir – 70-68-73 = 211 (-2)
T18 –
Marissa Scaletta – 77-74-72 = 223 (+10)
T25 –
Kelsey Haverluck – 73-73-79 = 225 (+12)
T39 –
Annalee Caveney – 75-73-82 = 230 (+17)
T68 –
Julia Capellini – 82-81-81 = 244 (+31)
