Carson-Newman’s Tunnell Tied for 24th After First Round At NCAA Division II National Championship

ALLENDALE, Mich. - Carson-Newman College freshman Mary Tunnell shot a 77 (+5) and is currently tied for 24th at the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championship after the completion of the first round in Allendale, Mich.. on Wednesday afternoon.

Representing Carson-Newman as an individual, Tunnell (Memphis, Tenn.) carded a front-nine 40 (+3) and a back-nine score of 37 (+2) to finish in a tie with eight other players for 24th in the field of 71 participants.

Tunnell was three over par for the round heading into the 18th hole, but ran into some trouble and double-bogeyed the final hole to miss matching her season-low round of 75. Tunnell, who finished tied for 12th at the 2011 Food Lion SAC Golf Championship in April, ended and up and down day with three birdies, six bogeys and the one double bogey. She is currently nine shots behind the leader.

Five players shot under par on Wednesday, with Nova Southeastern's Taylor Collins leading the way with a 68 (-4), one stroke ahead of Cecilia Kleinert from Rollins (69, -3). Collins opened her round with a birdie on No. 10, then added four more birdies against just one bogey.

In a 12-team field, defending national champion Nova Southeastern University holds the lead by ten strokes after a first round team total of 283, 5-under par. Rollins College occupies 2nd after the first day with a 293, 5-over par, and Florida Southern College sits in 3rd with a 299, 11-over par.

Tunnell tees off the second of four 18-hole rounds Thursday morning at 10:15 a.m. eastern time from the 10th hole at the par-72, 6,111-yard The Meadows.

NCAA Division II Women's Golf National Championships

Allendale, Mich. The Meadows

Par: 72 Yardage: 6,111

Top-5 Team Results (First Round) Rd. 1 Relation to Par

1. Nova Southeastern University 283 -5

2. Rollins College 293 +5

3. Florida Southern College 299 +11

4. St. Edward's University 305 +17

5. Tarleton State University 306 +18

Individual Top-10

Individual Team Rd. 1 Relation to Par

1. Taylor Collins Nova Southeastern 68 -4

2. Cecilia Kleinart Rollins 69 -3

3. Abbey Gittings Nova Southeastern 70 -2

Spencer Heller Sonoma State 70 -2

5. Jacqueline Lau Tarleton State 71 -1

6. Sandra Changkija Nova Southeastern 72 E

Jessica Dailleboust Western New Mexico 72 E

8. Emily Flanigan Florida Southern 73 +1

Molly Noser Concordia St. Paul 73 +1

Fabia Rothenfluh Rollins 73 +1

Wallis Spears St. Edward's 73 +1

T24. Mary Tunnell Carson-Newman 77 +5