Tulsa wins team race, ORU's Hensley takes medalist honors at Stripes Islander Classic

Corpus Christi, Texas - The 38th-ranked Tulsa women's golf team captured the team championship at the Stripes Islander Golf Classic on Tuesday afternoon at the par-72 Corpus Christi Country Club in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Hurricane was tied with North Texas after three rounds with a 924 total, and went to a playoff tiebreaker decided by the top third-round score amongst each team's fifth golfer. Sophomore Shu-Yin Liu's third-round 78 total topped UNT's Janna Golden's third-round 84 total to give Tulsa its second team title of the season after winning the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational back on Sept. 29.

In the individual race, Oral Roberts' Amber Hensley, a native of Jenks, Okla., fired a final round 70 to earn medalist honors.

Hensley finished tournament play at 221 (76-75-70) to win by three strokes. The Golden Eagles finished third out of 12 teams after a 309 on Tuesday left them at 927, three shots behind Tulsa (924).

Freshman Kristina Merkle was TU's top-finisher, completing the tournament in a tie for third place with a 9-over par 225 total. Sophomore Sarah Elliot finished in a three-way tie for fifth place with a 13-over 229 total.

Sophomore Marita Engzelius finished tied for 18th at 234, junior Abby Allford tied for 26th at 240.

Tulsa is back in action on March 8-10 at the UNLV Spring Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev.

For ORU, Megan O'Connell (Odessa, Texas) finished tied for eighth after a 77 left her at 230. Crystal Reeves (Broke Arrow, Okla.) shot an 83 to finish tied for 23rd at 238.

Kylie Bollenbach (Edmond, Okla.) finished tied for 31st at 242, and Eve Santillan (Aguascaliente, Mexico) finished in a tie for 42nd at 245.

The Golden Eagles next compete at the Jackrabbit Invitational, beginning Monday, March 15 at Primm, Nev.

Team Results
1. Tulsa - 315-303-306=924 (+60) **
2. North Texas - 316-299-309=924 (+60)
3. Oral Roberts - 306-312-309=927 (+63)
4. UTEP - 315-306-319=940 (+76)
5. Sam Houston State - 318-305-319=942(+78)
6. Houston Baptist - 326-314-309=949 (+85)
7. McLennan CC - 317-311-325=953 (+89)
8. UMKC - 316-316-331=963 (+99)
9. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - 327-324-313=964 (+100)
10. Stephen F. Austin - 342-319-324=985 (+121)
11. Texas-Pan American - 345-328-325=998 (+134)
12. McNeese State - 354-323-329=1005 (+141)
** Won in Playoff

Top-Five Individuals
1. Amber Hensley, Oral Roberts - 76-75-70=221
2. Kirsten Spittler, Sam Houston State - 72-74-78=224
T3. Kristina Merkle, Tulsa - 75-75-75=225
T3. Teresa Nogues, UTEP - 76-75-74=225
T5. Kelsey Kipp, UNT - 78-75-76=229
T5. Sarah Elliot, Tulsa - 80-72-77=229
T5. Addison Long, UNT - 76-73-80=229

Tulsa Results
T3. Kristina Merkle - 75-75-75=225 (+9)
T5. Sarah Elliot - 80-72-77=229 (+13)
T18. Marita Engzelius - 81-77-76=234 (+18)
T26. Abby Allford - 80-79-81=240 (+24)
T28. Shu-Yin Liu - 80-83-78=241 (+25)