TicketsBATAVIA, Ohio – University of Cincinnati women's golf sophomore Vanessa Manrique is pacing the field at the NKU Fall Classic at Elks Run Golf Club with a two-round 140 (-2). As a team, the Bearcats hold a 12-shot lead heading into Tuesday's final round. In total, three UC golfers rank among the top four on the player leaderboard.
After shooting a strong 1-over-par 72 in the first round of the season, Manrique (Bogotá, Colombia) went lower in the second with a personal-best round of 68 to vault into the top spot. Four birdies and 13 pars during the round allowed the sophomore to make the jump. Manrique's opening round, too, was solid with a birdie and 15 par scores.
Senior Anika Hitt (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) also notched a first on Monday with a personal record round of 68 as well to begin the season. Hitt marked a bogey-less scorecard in the opening round to go along with three birdies on the front nine holes to take hold of the top spot in the standings. She then hit a bit of a rough patch in the second round and dropped from first place, but was able to recover late in the round to tie for second at +2 on the day.
Junior Alyssa Burritt (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook) rounded out the Bearcats trio among the top four with a strong first round in which she carded a personal-best, 1-under-par 70 -- complete with three birdies, including back-to-back on holes 2 & 3. The Ohio native wasn't able to replicate the career round in the second, but did hold par on 14 holes to move into fourth overall.
Competing as an individual, sophomore Angela Lopez (Bogotá, Colombia) was also impressive in the first rounds of the year with a two-round 149, including four birdies in round one to shoot a 73. After turning in a 76 in round No. 2, Lopez slotted into a tie for eighth place overall and is on pace for the best tournament finish of her Bearcats career.
The Bearcats' 287 in the first round and 297 in the second marks the first time they have shot under 300 in the opening two rounds of a tournament since 2016.
The third and final round of the tournament will begin Tuesday morning with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The Bearcats' scoring team will be paired with IUPUI, Lipscomb, and Dayton. View the tee sheets here. Follow along with live scoring here.
// COACH CARL ON THE BEARCATS
On having success in the first rounds of the season:
"I was proud of the team today and the fight that it showed. The morning round was what we have seen from the team through our early stretch of practicing and we expect to see that more often. The afternoon was the first time of 36 holes for the year. With that, the mental and physical parts of the game come into effect."
On going into the final round with a large lead:
"The team has an opportunity to finish off its first event with a win tomorrow and it's all going to be about the girls coming out and being prepared and ready to get that done."
On what players impressed Monday:
"Individually, we were extremely happy with personal bests from Anika Hitt and Vanessa Manrique who each shot 68's today. We were also extremely pleased with Alyssa Burritt who is sitting tied for fourth. Anytime you have three of your players in the top five you have a great opportunity to win. We are still looking for a few more things out of the rest of the team, but we are seeing a lot of really good golf."
// PLAYER RESULTS
Scoring Team
1. Vanessa Manrique – 72+68=140 (-2)
T2. Anika Hitt – 68+76=144 (+2)
T4. Alyssa Burritt -- 70+76=146 (+4)
T22. Amalia Shahzan – 77+77=154 (+12)
T29. Daniela Murcia -- 78+77=155 (+13)
Individuals
T8. Angela Lopez – 73+76=149 (+7)
T43. Emma Wachtel -- 77+82=159 (+17)
52. Erin Evans – 80+81=161 (+19)
T64. Lily Rinker -- 79+87=166 (+24)
// TEAM STANDINGS
1. Cincinnati – 287+297=584 (+16)
2. IUPUI -- 302+294=596 (+28)
3. Lipscomb – 306+304=610 (+42)
4. Dayton -- 307+307=614 (+46)
5. UNC Asheville – 315+300+615 (+47)
6. Morehead State -- 306+311=617 (+49)
T7. Oakland -- 319+302=621 (+53)
T7. Youngstown State – 305+316=621 (+53)
9. Northern Kentucky -- 316+306=622 (+54)
10. Illinois-Chicago – 319+313=632 (+64)
11. Green Bay -- 319+322=641 (+73)
12. Detroit Mercy – 337+319=656 (+88)
13. Eastern Illinois -- 327+333=660 (+92)
After shooting a strong 1-over-par 72 in the first round of the season, Manrique (Bogotá, Colombia) went lower in the second with a personal-best round of 68 to vault into the top spot. Four birdies and 13 pars during the round allowed the sophomore to make the jump. Manrique's opening round, too, was solid with a birdie and 15 par scores.
Senior Anika Hitt (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) also notched a first on Monday with a personal record round of 68 as well to begin the season. Hitt marked a bogey-less scorecard in the opening round to go along with three birdies on the front nine holes to take hold of the top spot in the standings. She then hit a bit of a rough patch in the second round and dropped from first place, but was able to recover late in the round to tie for second at +2 on the day.
Junior Alyssa Burritt (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook) rounded out the Bearcats trio among the top four with a strong first round in which she carded a personal-best, 1-under-par 70 -- complete with three birdies, including back-to-back on holes 2 & 3. The Ohio native wasn't able to replicate the career round in the second, but did hold par on 14 holes to move into fourth overall.
Competing as an individual, sophomore Angela Lopez (Bogotá, Colombia) was also impressive in the first rounds of the year with a two-round 149, including four birdies in round one to shoot a 73. After turning in a 76 in round No. 2, Lopez slotted into a tie for eighth place overall and is on pace for the best tournament finish of her Bearcats career.
The Bearcats' 287 in the first round and 297 in the second marks the first time they have shot under 300 in the opening two rounds of a tournament since 2016.
The third and final round of the tournament will begin Tuesday morning with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The Bearcats' scoring team will be paired with IUPUI, Lipscomb, and Dayton. View the tee sheets here. Follow along with live scoring here.
// COACH CARL ON THE BEARCATS
On having success in the first rounds of the season:
"I was proud of the team today and the fight that it showed. The morning round was what we have seen from the team through our early stretch of practicing and we expect to see that more often. The afternoon was the first time of 36 holes for the year. With that, the mental and physical parts of the game come into effect."
On going into the final round with a large lead:
"The team has an opportunity to finish off its first event with a win tomorrow and it's all going to be about the girls coming out and being prepared and ready to get that done."
On what players impressed Monday:
"Individually, we were extremely happy with personal bests from Anika Hitt and Vanessa Manrique who each shot 68's today. We were also extremely pleased with Alyssa Burritt who is sitting tied for fourth. Anytime you have three of your players in the top five you have a great opportunity to win. We are still looking for a few more things out of the rest of the team, but we are seeing a lot of really good golf."
// PLAYER RESULTS
Scoring Team
1. Vanessa Manrique – 72+68=140 (-2)
T2. Anika Hitt – 68+76=144 (+2)
T4. Alyssa Burritt -- 70+76=146 (+4)
T22. Amalia Shahzan – 77+77=154 (+12)
T29. Daniela Murcia -- 78+77=155 (+13)
Individuals
T8. Angela Lopez – 73+76=149 (+7)
T43. Emma Wachtel -- 77+82=159 (+17)
52. Erin Evans – 80+81=161 (+19)
T64. Lily Rinker -- 79+87=166 (+24)
// TEAM STANDINGS
1. Cincinnati – 287+297=584 (+16)
2. IUPUI -- 302+294=596 (+28)
3. Lipscomb – 306+304=610 (+42)
4. Dayton -- 307+307=614 (+46)
5. UNC Asheville – 315+300+615 (+47)
6. Morehead State -- 306+311=617 (+49)
T7. Oakland -- 319+302=621 (+53)
T7. Youngstown State – 305+316=621 (+53)
9. Northern Kentucky -- 316+306=622 (+54)
10. Illinois-Chicago – 319+313=632 (+64)
11. Green Bay -- 319+322=641 (+73)
12. Detroit Mercy – 337+319=656 (+88)
13. Eastern Illinois -- 327+333=660 (+92)