SORRENTO, Fla. – Led by a career-low score from Madeline Marck-Sherk, the FGCU women's golf team finished second at MSU's Citrus Classic with a season-best team score of 901.
 
With solid rounds of 300 and 304 under its belt after two days of play, the team dialed in on day three and recorded a 297 to finish off the tournament. The 37-over score was enough to fend off Western Kentucky and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Morehead State, which finished third, fourth and fifth with final rounds of 288, 295 and 301 respectively, but couldn't push the Eagles past tournament champion Murray State, which snagged the win with a total team score of 892.
 
"Today was a much better day for us as a team," said head coach Sarah Trew. "We had everyone under 80 and got back to the golf we're used to playing. Murray State played so well today. Hats off to them because we gave it our all, but they just played great golf all day."
 
Coming off of a rocky showing at the Spring Break Shootout, Marck-Sherk (Ridgeway, Ontario/Ridgeway Crystal Beach HS) turned things around this week with a smart and consistent performance. The Canadian sophomore carded rounds of 71, 71 and 70 for a total score of 212 (-4) – the only under-par total of the 84-player field.
 
"I can't say enough about Madeline's play," Trew said. "To bound back like she did after last week and shoot under par all three rounds here is incredible. She stayed so poised and consistent all week and ended up being the only player in the field under par. I think this well give her a huge confidence boost heading into the next few weeks. I'm so proud of her and so excited to see her hard work play off."
 
Senior Megan Blonien (Altus, Okla./Altus HS) also showed consistency with a top-10 finish after rounds of 73, 74 and 76 through three days of play.
 
Finishing three shots behind Blonien, was sophomore Kelsy Holbert (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS) Holbert fell just outside the top-20 after recording a final round of 76 on day 3 for a total score of 227 (+11)
 
Competing as an individual, Madison Easterbrook (Burlington, Ontario/Aldershot HS) shot her best round on Tuesday with a 73 after carding scores of 78 and 79 in the first two days of play. Her total score of 230 (+14) tied her for 26th in the field.
 
After struggling through the first two rounds with uncharacteristically high scores, freshmen duo Ailsa Clark (Navarre, Fla./Navarre HS) and Kate Williamson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy HS) came through on day three with scores of 76 and 75 respectively.
 
FGCU LINEUP (* marks individual)
1. Madeline Marck-Sherk: 71+71+70 = 212 (-4)
T9. Megan Blonien: 73+74+76 = 223 (+7)
21. Kelsy Holbert: 73+78+76 = 227 (+11)
T26 Madison Easterbrook 78+79+73 = 230 (+14)*
T53. Ailsa Clark: 83+81+76 = 240 (+24)
T55. Kate Williamson: 85+81+75 = 241 (+25)
 
COMPLETE FIELD (Golf Stat Rankings as of 3/14/2017)
1. 86 Murray State: 306+295+291 = 892 (+28)
2. 149 FGCU: 300+304+297 = 901 (+37)
3. 132 Western Kentucky: 315+300+288 = 903 (+39)
4. 194 Texas A&M - Corpus Christi: 298+311+295 = 904 (+40)
5. 159 Morehead State: 310+303+301 = 914 (+50)
6. 155 Akron: 302+310+304 = 916 (+52)
7. 156 Jacksonville St.: 307+302+308 = 917 (+53)
8. 145 Marshall: 311+307+300 = 918 (+54)
9. 143 UMKC: 315+302+305 = 922 (+58)
10. 178 Towson: 310+316+298 = 924 (+60)
11. 208 Western Illinois: 320+311+312 = 943 (+79)
12. 214 Northern Kentucky: 315+316+316 = 949 (+85)
13. 187 Austin Peay State: 323+316+316 = 955 (+91)
14. 248 Eastern Illinois: 346+324+341 = 1011 (+147)
 
COACH TREW
Head coach Sarah Trew recently is currently in her 6th season at the helm of the FGCU women's golf team after being named ASUN Coach of the Year in 2016. Trew took over in 2011 and has since guided the Eagles to the program's best-ever finish in the ASUN 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 spring of 2015 saw the Eagles again take third place at the ASUN Championship, and recording their best team score of the season while 2016 again set a new standard. The 2015-16 squad recorded a new program best with a 305.29 average and took a second-place finish at the conference tournament. In that event, the Eagles carded a team score of 290 to set the program's new record and earned the top finish in program history.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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.