The Barton Community College women's golf team began play today at the NJCAA Women's Golf National Championship held at the Chateau Elan Resort Golf Course in Braselton, Georgia.  Leading the 120 participant field by two strokes was Barton sophomore Peerada Piddon firing an even-par 71 score as the Lady Cougars sit in fifteenth place at 364 after first day of competition.  Having the morning tee times on Monday, the Lady Cougars will begin the second round in the second wave of tee times beginning at 11:51 a.m. central time with Piddon set to tee off a little over thirty minutes later.

Piddon opened play with a par before dipping into the red with a birdie, cruising for the next six holes before a bogey evened her round at 35.  The Thailand native recovered with three straight pars to open up the next nine before taking a bogey on the fourth hole to briefly sit on the over-par line.  Taking on the following par-4 hole, Piddon got back to even par picking up her second birdie before closing the 71 round with four straight pars. 

As was the theme for Barton in the first round of play beginning on the tenth tee, the Lady Cougars started off slow for the first nine before bouncing back with improved scores on the second nine.  Making her second national tournament appearance, Mackenzie Fabrizius was no exception to Barton's opening nine-hole woes, beginning with a 50 before following up with a 46 including a birdie on her sixteenth hole to finish in 95th place with a 96 total.  

Three Lady Cougars made their national tournament debut with Colby's Miranda Kern leading the trio posting consistent 49's to rank 100th with a 98.  Lucia Rodriguez Zapico started off slow in her first competition on the national stage with a 54 but outside of Piddon, came back with the team's second best nine-hole score of 45 finishing the day at 99.  Kendra Jellison also got off to a rocky start with a 57 before riding the ship until her final two holes pushed her score up to a 50 for the 107 total in 112th place.

Barton Individual Placing/Results (Round 1 – 18 Holes – Par 71):

1 - Peerada Piddon – 71
T95 - Mackenzie Fabrizius – 96
100 - Miranda Kern – 98
T101 - Lucia Rodriguez Zapico – 99
112 - Kendra Jellison – 107

Complete NJCAA Women's Golf Championship information found here