LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – The FGCU women's golf team carded a team score of 314 through the first round of action at the 38th Annual Pat Bradley Invitational Sunday, Oct. 25 at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club. With the combined score, the Eagles rank 12th of 14 teams in the highly-competitive field.
 
After the first of three rounds, James Madison holds the lead with a team score of 290, while Memphis, Daytona State, Toledo and host FIU round out the top-five with scores of 297 and better. The Eagles stand just three strokes behind 10th place teams North Texas and Texas A&M Corpus Christi and lead Bradley and Georgia State by one stroke.
 
"We had some tough conditions out there today and got out to a bad start collectively," said fifth-year head coach Sarah Trew.  "I think it really rattled us during the front nine, more so than during some other tournaments. However, we were able to right the ship on the back nine and take a lot of positive things away. With this sport, each day is a learning process and with how young we are, I'm proud of the steps we have taken so far. We just need to learn from mistakes we made today and remember tomorrow is an opportunity to get better."
 
Megan Blonien (Altus, Okla./Altus High School/Oklahoma State) led the Eagles through the first round with a plus-4 score of 76. Blonien started with a double on 10 and added three bogeys and a birdie on 14 during the front nine. The junior finished with nine-straight even holes on the back nine for the team's strongest score and a top-30 ranking among the field's participants.
 
Senior Sara Detlefsen (Eagan, Minn./Minnesota Virtual Academy) and freshman Kelsy Holbert (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner High School) both carded scores of 78 in the first round. Detlefsen started with doubles on 10 and 11 before rebounding with a birdie on 12. She added a bogey and a birdie and went into the turn at plus-3. The senior added bogeys on 4, 7 and 8 to finish at plus-6 on the day.
 
Holbert was even through her first three holes and recorded a birdie on 13 before carding three doubles and a bogey in her first nine holes. The freshman settled in during the back nine with two bogeys and birdies on 5 and 6 to finish even in the second half of her round for a first-round score of 78.
 
Senior Mei Khuan Yong (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia/S.M.K. Cochrane) went plus-8 through her first nine holes but also settled in during the back nine. Yong carded just one bogey and one double in the final nine holes and added a birdie on 5 to finish at plus-10 and contribute to the Eagles' team score.
 
Madeline Marck-Sherk (Ridgeway, Ontario/Ridgeway Crystal Beach High School) and Madison Easterbrook (Burlington, Ontario/ Aldershot High School) rounded out the Green and Blue lineup with scores of 88 and 81, respectively.
 
The second round of action will tee off Monday, Oct. 25 at 8:30 a.m. Live scoring from the Pat Bradley Invitational can be followed at www.birdiefire.com or by clicking here.  Complete results and information will also be available at FGCUAthletics.com following each day of competition.
 
ROUND ONE RESULTS

Pos.	School
1	James Madison	290	+2
2	Memphis	292	+4
3	Daytona State	295	+7
4	Toledo	296	+8
5	FIU	297	+9
6	FAU	300	+12
7	Jacksonville	303	+15
8	W Kentucky	306	+18
9	Cincinnati	307	+19
10	North Texas	311	+23
	Texas A&M Corpus Christi	311	+23
12	FGCU	314	+26
13	Bradley	315	+27
	Georgia State	315	+27

 

T 27	Megan Blonien	76	+4
T 40	Sara Detlefsen	78	+6
T 40	Kelsy Holbert	78	+6
T 62	Madison Easterbrook*	81	+9
67	Mei Khuan Yong	82	+10
78	Madeline Marck-Sherk	88	+16

*competing as an individual
 
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU women's golf program, follow on Twitter at @FGCU_WGolf and on Facebook at /FGCUWGolf.       
 
Head coach Sarah Trew enters her fifth season at the helm of the FGCU women's golf team. Trew took over in 2011 and has since guided the Eagles to the program's best-ever finish in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and to 20+ top-10 finishes. A year ago, Trew led the team to several records on and off the course. The 2013-14 squad set a new single-season scoring record with a team average of 307.88, while also setting a new benchmark academically. The team earned a team grade point average of 3.8 in the fall semester and set the FGCU team record with a 3.92 during the spring of 2014. The spring of 2015 saw the Eagles again take third place at the A-Sun Championship, and recording their best team score of the season.