Piddon makes school history, Barton Women's Golf with fifth straight Top-14 national finish

School history was made Thursday at the Chateau Elan Resort Golf Course in Braselton, Georgia, as Peerada Piddon of the Barton Community College women's golf team finished runner-up at the NJCAA Women's Golf National Championship. Leading the Lady Cougars to a 14th place finish, Piddon followed up her then-school record seventh placing last year as a freshman to wrap up her career by also recording the lowest four-round score of 10-over for the championship.  As a team the Lady Cougars improved for the fourth straight day carding a combined 339 to place amongst the nation's top fourteen for the fifth straight year.

Leading the pack throughout the tournament getting off to an even-par through two rounds start, Piddon's lead shrunk to two heading in to the final day having shot a 3-over on Wednesday.  Beginning the final round on the tenth tee, the sophomore from Thailand had blistered the back nine holes in a combined 2-under in the previous three rounds. Thursday was a different story as five bogeys dotted the scorecard including four straight to make the turn at 5-over.  Taking a double bogey on No. 1 in Wednesday's round, the hole reared its head giving Piddon a five hole streak of bogeys.  Two pars ensued followed by her fifth birdie of the week, tacking on three more pars before the par-three eighth added the seventh bogey of the day to the card.  Piddon finished her career making par on the ninth for a 1-over 37 wrapping up her round for a 6-over 77.   The four-day total of 294 was one shy of the top score as Iowa Western Community College's Sena Ersoy concluded her climb up the leaderboard from the sixth spot after day one with a 3-over 74 round to win the title.

Also playing her final round as a Lady Cougar, Mackenzie Fabrizius posted her lowest score of the tournament vaulting eleven spots up the chart to tie for 66th after finishing 90th her freshman year.  Carding five bogeys with two doubles for a 44 on the first nine, Fabrizius dropped her third birdie of the tournament and second on the par-five third while recording just four more bogeys for a 39 to complete the round with a 12-over 83 as the Spring Hill, Kansas, native concluded her second trip to nationals with a 355 total.

Barton's three freshman continued their improvement throughout the championship with Kendra Jellison leading the trio with a low round 18-over 89.   Having posted at least three triple bogeys in each of the previous three rounds, the Topeka, Kansas, native limited the triple damage to just her eighth hole of the day making the turn at 47 before firing a 42 on the back in jumping five spots on the board to 105th at 394.

Lucia Rodriguez Zapico followed her 89 on Wednesday with another solid round of golf on Thursday posting a 19-over 90.  Beginning her round with a double bogey, three bogeys, and a triple bogey, Rodriguez recorded her second birdie of the tournament going on the card an opening 44.  Despite another triple on her second to last hole, the freshman from Argentina finished with a 46 to move four spots into a tie with fellow Lady Cougar Miranda Kern.  Kern, who would shoot consistent 47 scores for the final round 23-over 94, fought off two disastrous holes to hold the round together.  One of those was a quadruple on the par-four seventh but Kern roared back on the ensuing par-three eighth draining her lone birdie of the championship to leave Georgia with positive vibes to the off-season.

Barton Individual Placing/Results (Round 4 – 18 Holes – Par 71):
2 - Peerada Piddon – 77
T66 - Mackenzie Fabrizius – 83
T95 - Lucia Rodriguez Zapico – 90
T95 - Miranda Kern – 94
105- Kendra Jellison – 89

Barton Individual Placing/Results (Complete – 72 Holes – Par 284):
2 - Peerada Piddon – 294 (+10)
T66 - Mackenzie Fabrizius – 355 (+71)
T95 - Lucia Rodriguez Zapico – 382 (+98)
T95 - Miranda Kern – 382 (+98)
105- Kendra Jellison – 394 (+110)

Complete Team Placing (Score To-Par)
1 - Daytona State College (1191 +55)
2 - Seminole State-FL (1205 +69)
3 - Tyler JC (1283 +147)  
4 - McLennan CC (1290 +154)
5 - Iowa Western CC (1320 +184)
6 - Redlands CC (1326 +190)
7 - Rend Lake CC (1328 +192)
8 - Murray State CC (1333 +197)
9 - Western Texas CC (1350 +214)
10 - Mesa CC (1358 +222)
11 - Des Moines CC (1362 +226)
12 - Wallace State CC (1375 +239)
13 - Spartanburg Methodist (1379 +243)
14 - Barton County CC (1404 +268)
15 - Snead (1420 +284)
16 - Pima CC (1437 +301)
17 - Ancilla CC (1566 +430)
18 - Oxford College of Emory Univ. (1521 +527)

Complete NJCAA Women's Golf Championship information found here