Blount breaks tournament record in second straight win for Reddie women
HSU Athletics
David Salley
TULSA, Okla. – History was made on two different fronts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the 22nd Annual NSU Women’s Classic in regards to the Henderson State women’s golf program and the NSU Classic in its 22 year entirety.
Henderson’s Gracen Blount broke the NSU Classic all-time record low with a first-place score of 7-under 137, seeing her second tournament victory of the season.
The Reddies as a team shattered the previous team record for a par 72 event of 21-over 597, shooting a two-round score of even-par 576 to win the NSU Classic at The Club at Indian Springs.
Blount made her own HSU history, shooting the lowest round in HSU history with a 5-under 67. This comes less than a week out from teammate Allie Bianchi tying the lowest round in program history with a 3-under 69.
After carding a 2-over 290 on day one, HSU flipped the script with a 2-under 286 through the final 18 holes. In addition to obliterating the previously held team record for a total event, the Reddies also claimed their best team single round in program history with the sub-par round.
Blount registered six birdies in the second round and nine birdies for the entire tournament. As a team, HSU hit 13 birdies and one eagle on the final day of competition.
The junior from Hot Springs, Arkansas, also submitted the lowest event total ever recorded at Henderson with her 36-hole score of 7-under 137, giving her the first-place nod for the second tournament in a row.
Daphney Tilton saw her highest finish as a Reddie, finishing as runner-up with a 3-under 141. Until Blount delivered her historic performance, Tilton’s 3-under event total was the lowest par 72 total in two rounds of action.
Allie Bianchi tied the field with the second-best round of the day at 1-under 71, moving up 14 spots to take a tie for sixth with a 3-over 147. The Lovejoy High School product delivered the only eagle of the tournament, holing out in two on the par 4 fifth hole of the second 18.
Hannah Choi and Kathleen Escobar rounded out the Reddie golfers, coming in a tie for 27th and tie for 30th with an 8-over 152 and a 9-over 153, respectively.
First year head coach Colton Cowan is now 2-0 as the point man of the Henderson State women’s golf program, having won last week’s Central Region Fall Preview. Next up for the Reddies is the UCO Classic in Edmond, Oklahoma, on Oct. 4-5.