DOTHAN, Ala. - One year ago, the Florida Gulf Coast University women's golf team made history. Now, the Eagles are headed back in hopes to do it again.
The Eagles will compete in the ASUN Championship at Dothan Country Club in Dothan, Ala. on April 17-19, looking to capture back-to-back conference titles after winning the program's first-ever ASUN Championship a year ago.
Representing FGCU will be
Leonie Wulfers,
Amelie Alcantara,
Lousiane Gauthier,
Sydney Deal and
Islay Benoit.
Anne Yost will serve as the sixth member and alternate. Dothan Country Club plays as a par 72 at 6,256-yards.
The Eagles enter the championship checking in at No. 64 in the rankings, the highest of any program in the ASUN. Stetson (No. 87) and North Florida (No. 89) are the only other conference schools ranked inside the top 100. The full field includes Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Queens-Charlotte, Stetson and West Georgia.
But rankings only tell part of the story. It was on this same stage one year ago that FGCU etched its name in program history. The Eagles outlasted Stetson in four playoff holes to claim the team title, while Gauthier put an exclamation point on the day by winning the individual championship at even-par, a four-stroke victory that stands as the first individual ASUN title in program history as well. Wulfers, Alcantara, Gauthier and Benoit were all part of that championship squad and head to Dothan hungry to do it again.
FGCU also enters the conference championship having gone undefeated against ASUN opponents during the regular season, adding yet another layer of dominance to an already compelling case for back-to-back titles. The Eagles' résumé this season speaks for itself, seven top-five finishes in 10 tournaments, including three runner-up showings at The Southern in Statesboro, Ga., the Momentum Transportation UNF Collegiate in Jacksonville, Fla., and the Bell Bank "Pay it Forward" Collegiate in Litchfield Park, Ariz.
Wulfers has been a standout this season, ranking 185th in the nation with a 73.0 adjusted scoring average, one individual championship, four top-15 finishes and two top-five finishes to her name. Deal has put together one of the most consistent seasons on the roster, posting five top-25 finishes with a 73.6 adjusted scoring average. Alcantara carries a 73.8 adjusted scoring average with four top-15 finishes, including a top-three result. Gauthier, the reigning individual champion, owns a 74.4 adjusted scoring average with four top-25 finishes, while Benoit rounds out the lineup with a 74.5 adjusted scoring average and two top-25 finishes.
FGCU comes in off a strong showing at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, where the Eagles finished fifth as a team at 24-over at the UGA Golf Course. Alcantara led the way, tying for 11th at 3-over and pacing the squad with 11 birdies across the event. Wulfers was right behind her, tying for 13th at 4-over with a steady performance that featured 38 pars, tied for the fourth-most in the field. Benoit tied for 34th at 10-over with consistent play, while Deal tied for 42nd at 11-over and posted 37 pars, tied for seventh-most in the field. Gauthier rounded out the lineup tied for 47th at 12-over, but saved her best for last, posting an even-par final round to climb 14 spots up the leaderboard heading into the offseason's final stretch.
With four returning champions, an undefeated record against the conference, seven top-five finishes on the season and are the highest ranked team in the ASUN, the Eagles arrive in Dothan not just as defending champions, but as the team everyone else is chasing.
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