ELGIN, S.C. – Led by sophomore Kate Hill's third-place finish, the Anderson women's golf team equaled its highest finish since joining the league in 2011 by claiming a share of fifth place at the 2018 South Atlantic Conference Championship, which was hosted by Newberry at the 5,830-yard, par-72 The Members Club at Woodcreek.

Hill's third-place finish marks the highest finish by a Trojan women's golfer at the SAC Championship, as the Clemson, S.C., native eclipsed her own fifth-place finish from a year ago, while the squad equaled its 2017 Championship finish.

Wingate matched its own tournament-low score with a final-round 312 on Tuesday, running away from the field to win the title by 26 strokes. The 15th- ranked Bulldogs, who earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Golf Championships, won their fourth-ever SAC Championship and first since 2014. Wingate also captured the conference crown in 2002 and 2008.

The Bulldogs' 26-stroke margin of victory was the biggest in the SAC Championship since Wingate's 44-shot win over second-place Tusculum in 2008.
Wingate placed three individuals in the top five, including individual medalist Mind Puangcharoen. The sophomore shot 77 on each of the first two days and finished off the tournament with a 78 to claim a wire-to-wire, one-shot victory at 16-over-par.

Fellow Bulldogs Laura Nunez and Diana McDonald each tied for fourth place at 20- over-par with identical 78s in the final round, giving Wingate three of five first-team all-tournament team members.

Cameryn Smith of Queens nearly forced a playoff on the final hole but came up one shot shy, finishing second overall to Puangcharoen. Hill finished in third place, three shots out of the lead with a final-round 80 that included birdies on three-of-four holes on the back nine.

Queens finished second overall 102 strokes over par, eight shots clear of a hard-charging Lenoir-Rhyne team that leapt from eighth to third with a 313 on the final day. Lincoln Memorial moved from sixth to fourth at 111 over, while Anderson and Carson-Newman were deadlocked in fifth place one shot further back and one shot ahead of seventh-place Tusculum. In all, five schools finished the tournament between 110 and 113 strokes over par.

Wingate, alone with any schools selected to the NCAA Championships, will travel to the South Super Regional May 7-9 at the Germantown Country Club just east of Memphis, Tennessee.

AU freshman Anna Freeman finished 25th, while junior Tiffany Elam was one shot further back in a tie for 26th place. Senior Riley Lovorn finished in 35th place, with junior Samantha Ellison finishing in a tie for 37th place.

5 Anderson 317 330 329 976 +112
3 Kate Hill 76 79 80 235 +19
25 Anna Freeman 78 82 87 247 +31
T 26 Tiffany Elam 85 84 79 248 +32
35 Riley Lovorn 83 85 84 252 +36
T 37 Samantha Ellison 80 88 86 254 +38

Pos. School Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 Total To Par
1 Wingate 312 316 312 940 +76
2 Queens 325 326 315 966 +102
3 Lenoir-Rhyne 327 334 313 974 +110
4 Lincoln Memorial 323 334 318 975 +111
5 Anderson 317 330 329 976 +112
Carson Newman 330 328 318 976 +112
7 Tusculum 316 331 330 977 +113
8 Coker 330 324 327 981 +117
9 Catawba 338 338 325 1001 +137
10 Newberry 333 340 333 1006 +142
11 Mars Hill 379 374 358 1111 +247