Women’s Golf Closes With a Win at Mid-American Challenge

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's golf team closed the Mid-American Match Play Challenge with a victory over No. 8 Bowling Green State University, 3-2, to claim seventh-place on the par 72, 6,068-yards Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club course. Earlier in the day, EMU dropped a 4-1 decision to Morehead State University, to finish the event with a 1-1-2 record.

No. 3 Illinois State won the event after upsetting No. 1 Central Michigan, 3-2, in the championship.

Every Eagle won at least one match during the event with freshman Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ontario-Tommy Douglas Secondary School) notching a 3-1 record over the two days.

How It Happened
» Schools are competing in teams of five with the seeds determined by their current Golfstat rankings. Each of the five matches is worth one point to the winner. If the competitors end up all-square after 18 holes, each school receives ½ point. The school with the most points after the five matches wins.
» Unlike stroke play, in which the unit of scoring is the total number of strokes taken over one or more rounds of golf, match play scoring consists of individual holes won, halved or lost. On each hole, the most that can be gained is one point. Golfers play as normal, counting the strokes taken on a given hole. The golfer with the lowest score on a given hole receives one point. If the golfers tie, then the hole is halved. Also, once a player is "up" more holes than there are holes remaining to play, the match is over.
» Morehead State took four of the five pairings, with sophomore Sophia Wygonik (Westland, Mich.-Livonia Franklin) able to pull out a 4&3 victory over MSU's Bridget Connolly.
» Wygonik built an early lead and never looked back in the match with the round ending on the sixth hole when the Westland, Mich. native went up four with three holes remaining.
» Sophomore Anna Watson (Ashland, Ohio-Ashland) was tied with MacKenzie Neal after 11 holes, but Neal was able to close out Watson with better tallies on No. 3 and No. 5.
» Junior Natai Apichonlati (Bangkok, Thailand-The Regent's International School) also nearly pulled off the win, as she was tied with Hailey Riet after 16 holes. However, Rietz was able to pull of the victory with better scores on No. 8 and No. 9 to close out the round and the match.
» In the finale against Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan won three of the five matches. All five matches saw the eventual winner build an early lead and continue to expand upon it as the round progressed.
» The match began on No. 10 with no fourth round pairing making it past No. 7.
» DiMarcantonio led wire-to-wire in the 4&3 win over Mallory Swartz.
» After tying the first two holes, Apichonlati got it rolling to defeat Alyson Kovach, 4&2.
» Watson also picked up a victory by edging Nichole Cox, 3&2.

Up Next
Eastern Michigan returns to its normal stroke play format at the Rio Verde Invitational, Feb. 25-27, in Rio Verde, Ariz.

Opening Round
No. 5 Eastern Michigan tied with No. 12 Ball State (EMU advanced on tiebreakers)
Alyssa DiMarcantonio (EMU) def. Dylann Armstrong (BSU), 7&5
Natai Apichonlati (EMU) tied with Hadley Moritz (BSU)
Kiah Parrott (BSU) def. Sophia Wygonik (EMU), 1-up
Kyleigh Dull (EMU) def. Morgan Lewis (BSU), 3&2
Liz Kim (BSU) def. Anna Watson (EMU), 3&1

Other Opening Round Matchups
No. 8 Bowling Green def. No. 9 Western Illinois, 4-1
No. 10 Western Michigan def. No. 7 Toledo, 3&2
No. 6 Morehead State def. No. 11 Ohio, 4-0-1

Second Round
No. 4 Akron tied with No. 5 Eastern Michigan (AKR advanced on tiebreakers)
Alyssa DiMarcantonio (EMU) def. Riley Dean (AKR), 7&6
Natai Apichonlati (EMU) def. Ivana Shah (AKR), 1-up
Jacinta Pikunas (AKR) def. Sophia Wygonik (EMU), 5&4
Jessica Hahn (AKR) tied with Kyleigh Dull (EMU)
Jenn David (AKR) def. Anna Watson (EMU), 6&4

Other Second Round Matchups
No. 1 Central Michigan def. No. 8 Bowling Green, 3&2
No. 12 Ball State def. No. 11 Ohio, 4&1
No. 2 Northern Illinois def. No. 10 Western Michigan, 4-0-1
No. 3 Illinois State def. No. 6 Morehead State, 4-1
No. 9 Western Illinois def. No. 7 Toledo, 4-1

Third Round
No. 6 Morehead State def. No. 5 Eastern Michigan, 4-1
Hanna Montgomery (MSU) def. Alyssa DiMarcantonio (EMU), 3&2
Hailey Rietz (MSU) def. Natai Apichonlati (EMU), 2-up
Sophia Wygonik (EMU) def. Bridget Connolly (MSU), 4&3
Olivia Hensley (MSU) def. Kyleigh Dull (EMU), 4&3
MacKenzie Neal (MSU) def. Anna Watson (EMU), 2&1

Other Third Round Matchups
No. 1 Central Michigan def. No. 4 Akron, 3-2
No. 3 Illinois State def. No. 2 Northern Illinois, 3-2
No. 7 Toledo def. No. 12 Ball State, 4-0-1
No. 10 Western Michigan def. No. 8 Bowling Green, 3-2
No. 11 Ohio def. No. 9 Western Illinois, 2-1-2

Fourth Round
No. 5 Eastern Michigan def. No. 8 Bowling Green, 3-2
Alyssa DiMarcantonio (EMU) def. Mallory Swartz (BGSU), 4&3
Natai Apichonlati (EMU) def. Alyson Kovach (BGSU), 4&2
MacKenzie Moore (BGSU) def. Sophia Wygonik (EMU), 6&5
Kayla Davis (BGSU) def. Kyleigh Dull (EMU), 3&2
Anna Watson (EMU) def. Nichole Cox (BGSU), 3&2

Other Third Round Matchups
No. 3 Illinois State def. No. 1 Central Michigan, 3&2
No. 2 Northern Illinois def. No. 4 Akron, 3-1-1
No. 6 Morehead State def. No. 10 Western Michigan, 4-1

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Natai Apichonlati

Alyssa DiMarcantonio

Kyleigh Dull

Anna Watson

Sophia Wygonik

Eastern Michigan Athletics