Keith Murphy.
PHOTO: JIM JARRETT
By John Manley
Keith Murphy finished just a stroke off the low number after three rounds of the Bash at the Beach at the Surf Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C., but chances are the South Carolina-Beaufort golfer wasn’t feeling the least bit sorry for himself. The Dublin junior was low man for the Sand Sharks, an NAIA program that won the team title over 15 other programs, all but one of which compete at the NCAA Division 1 level. Murphy, who transferred to Beaufort from Belleville University, posted rounds of 72, 68 and 74. That middle 68 shared honors for low round. Oakland University sophomore Marc Norton from Belfast tied for 41st place at 230 (75-75-80) in a field that drew 96 golfers. Patrick Brennan, a Fairleigh Dickinson freshman from Belfast, tied for 72nd place at 240 (77-83-80).
Texas Wesleyan freshman Rowan Lester got a share of third place in the Keiser Invitational at Palm Beach Polo & Golf Club in Wellington, Fla. The Dubliner posted rounds of 70, 74 and 71 to finish a stroke under par and two off the low number shared by a pair of teammates. Despite that top-heavy effort, the Rams were only second best among teams, finishing five strokes behind the host school, Keiser University.
Michael Abram of Spring Hill College shared 28th place in the Carey Collegiate Classic at Canebrake Country Club in Hattiesburg, Miss. Abram, a senior from Carnlough, Co. Antrim, shot rounds of 75 and 76, which put him seven strokes over par for the event and 14 off the winning number belonging to Colin Troxler of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Conor Sutton of Union (Ky.) finished joint-34th in a 130-man field in the Saginaw Valley State Spring Invitational at Cherry Blossom Golf Club in Georgetown, Ky. Sutton, a junior from Dublin, shot rounds of 78 and 75 to finish nine strokes over par and 10 behind Tiffin’s Brett Green, the champion.
Daniel Cosgrove finished joint-47th in a 95-man field in the Argonaut Invitational at Poppy Ridge Golf Club in Livermore, Calif. The Academy of Art senior from Trim, Co. Meath shot rounds of 77, 83 and 70 to finish 14 strokes over par and 21 behind medalist Trevor Lampson of California Baptist. Cosgrove’s third-round score was only a stroke off the low number for that frame.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Arizona State’s Olivia Mehaffey finished joint-sixth in the Clover Cup at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz. The Belfast freshman fired rounds of 72, 69 and 72, which left her three strokes under par and 10 off the winning number shot by Oklahoma’s Julienne Soo. The Sun Devils did, however, take the team title, with five golfers among the top 15 individuals.
Kansas State’s Chloe Weir earned sole possession of 26th place in the Mountain View Intercollegiate in Tucson, Ariz. The sophomore from Belfast shot rounds of 75, 74 and 73 to finish six strokes over par and 19 in back of Arizona’s Wanasa Zhou, the medalist.
GYMNASTICS
Bowling Green’s India McPeak earned second place on the beam at the Mid-American Conference Championships in Bowling Green, Ohio. The junior from Bangor, Co. Down had a nearly flawless routine, earning a school-record score of 9.925 from the judges.
SWIMMING
Widener’s Ian Gaynor placed ninth in the men’s 100-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in Shenandoah, Tex. Gaynor, a senior from Buncrana, Co. Donegal, set a school record 44.30, shaving a bit off his previous standard of 44.53. He earned All America honorable mention status with his placing.
TENNIS
Yale’s Caroline Lynch won two of her three singles matches during the Bulldogs’ California swing last week. The senior from Slane, Co. Meath started with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory at fifth singles over San Diego State’s Berta Acero, which helped put Yale over the top, 4-3. Lynch again had to go to three sets for Wednesday’s triumph, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, over Loyola Marymount’s Julia Norlin at the sixth spot, although the home team prevailed here, 4-3. Yale then fell to Long Beach State, 6-1, on Friday, with Lynch coming up short at fifth singles against Natalia Munoz, 7-5, 6-0.
Montevallo’s Emily Beatty was solid at second singles for the Falcons, 6-3 winners over Augusta on Saturday, and 5-4 winners over Emmanuel on Sunday. Beatty, a sophomore from Moria, Co. Down, took out Augusta’s Monica Gonzalez, 6-0, 6-4, and Emmanuel’s Pearllan Cipriano, 6-0, 6-3.
Mercyhurst’s Conor McCooey, a junior from Dublin, posted victories at fifth singles for the Lakers in Saturday’s 6-3 win over Roberts Wesleyan and Sunday’s 5-4 loss to Niagara, both in Erie, Pa. He defeated Roberts’ Jose Carrillo, 6-1, 6-4, and did likewise with Niagara’s Brent Doleslav, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
