GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Conference Freshman of the Year, Kate Hill posted a 3-over-par 75 to equal the seventh-best score of the day, but the Anderson women's golf team slipped to sixth following second-round action at the 2017 SAC Championship, which is being hosted by Tusculum at the 5,910-yard, par 72 Link Hills Country Club.
The host Pioneers, who are bidding for their third overall conference championship and first since claiming back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, led the event for the second consecutive day and hold a three-shot lead over Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears vaulted from a share of sixth place following Sunday's first round into contention for their third SAC Championship by slashing 10 strokes off their opening-round tally. Lenoir-Rhyne's total 297 on Tuesday set a new league championship record for a single round, besting Tusculum's 298, which was set just 24 hours earlier.
Carson-Newman, which began Tuesday's second round in eighth place, jumped into third place, but trails Lenoir-Rhyne by 10 shots, while searching for its second team title in three years. Wingate is in fourth place, while Lincoln Memorial fell from sole possession of second place into fifth after 36 holes.
Hill posted an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole and the Trojans combined for seven birdies on the front nine, but the Black and Gold struggled on the back nine and slipped from a share of third place into sixth – five shots behind Wingate and two strokes behind the Lady Railsplitters.
Coker and Queens were tied with AU in the third slot following Monday's first round, but fell to seventh and eighth, respectively.
Catawba, Newberry and Mars Hill rounded out the 11-team field.
Carson-Newman's Elizabeth England leads the chase for individual medalist honors after setting a new SAC Championship record by firing a 6-under-par 66 on Tuesday and leads Lenoir-Rhyne's Abbey Hartsell, the SAC Player of the Year, by a pair of strokes. L-R's Ainee O'Connor is eight shots further back in third place.
Sophomore Tiffany Elam continues to pace the Trojans after carding a 7-over-par 79 on Tuesday and shares 10th place. Hill began the day in a tie for 29th, but jumped into a tie for 12th behind her second-round effort. Sophomore Makalyn Poole is in a five-way tie for 25th, while junior Riley Lovorn is tied for 30th. Sophomore Blake Hodges is tied for 45th place.
The final round of the three-day, 54-round event is scheduled to get underway Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m.
6 Anderson 305 315 620 +44
T 10 Tiffany Elam 73 79 152 +8
T 12 Kate Hill 78 75 153 +9
T 25 Makalyn Poole 78 79 157 +13
T 30 Riley Lovorn 76 82 158 +14
T 45 Blake Hodges 84 83 167 +23
Pos. School Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Total To Par
1 Tusculum 298 303 601 +25
2 Lenoir-Rhyne 307 297 604 +28
3 Carson-Newman 309 305 614 +38
4 Wingate 307 308 615 +39
5 Lincoln Memorial 300 318 618 +42
6 Anderson 305 315 620 +44
7 Coker 305 316 621 +45
8 Queens 312 314 626 +50
9 Catawba 322 316 638 +62
10 Newberry 328 324 652 +76
11 Mars Hill 387 383 770 +194
