Leiterman’s win, Harris’ hole-in-one highlight Lady Hawks’ win in Rhodes Invitational

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Huntingdon women's golf team turned in a highlight-filled final round on Monday en route to winning the Rhodes Women's Golf Spring Invitational.

By the end of the day, the 10th-year Lady Hawks had earned the second tournament team win and the second individual tournament win in program history and recorded the second hole-in-one in program history.

Huntingdon shot 307 in the final round and beat Rhodes College by 10 strokes with a two-round 619. Junior Vanessa Leiterman shot a 1-under 72 in the final round and finished with an even-par 146 to earn medalist honors. Freshman Olivia Hickson finished three strokes back in third with a 3-over 149.

On Hole No. 17 of the West Course at Windyke Country Club, a 110-yard, par-3, freshman Anna Beth Harris left her mark with the Lady Hawks' first hole-in-one since the 2010-11 season. Former Huntingdon golfer Ali Hamil recorded the program's first hole-in-one in the 2010 Mobile Fall Invitational.      

The Lady Hawks, who led by four strokes after the first round, took control on Monday. Huntingdon's 15-over 307 tied for the second lowest round in program history and was six strokes off the record of 301. The two-round 619 was the second best 36-hole total for the Lady Hawks and four strokes off the record of 615.

The team win was the first since winning the Montgomery Country Club Intercollegiate during the 2014-15 season.

Leiterman joins former All-American LeeAnn Cahoon as the Lady Hawks' only two tournament medalists. Cahoon won the BSC Southern Shootout last season.

Leiterman's 1-under 72 in the final round tied for the third best individual round by a Lady Hawk and her 146 for the tournament was the second best two-round total for the program. Cahoon set both records last season with a 1-under 69 and a 2-over 142 in the BSC Southern Shootout.

Leiterman, who also shot 72 in her second round as a Lady Hawk last fall, joins Cahoon as the only two Lady Hawks to shoot 72 or better multiple times. 

Hickson tied her best collegiate round with a 1-over 74 in the final round. Her two-round 149 is tied as the fourth best 36-hole total for the Lady Hawks.

Behind Leiterman and Hickson, junior Katelyn Gilmore shot 80 in the final round and tied for eighth with a two-round 160. Harris shot 164 for the tournament and sophomore Madi DeWees shot 173.

Coming Up: Huntingdon will compete in the Washington University Women's Invitational in St. Louis on April 7-8.