COMPLETE RESULTS
PHOTO GALLERY

Sophomore Jessica Neese earned All-Big South honors and led the High Point University women's golf team to a fourth-place finish at the Big South Championship on Wednesday at the Patriot at Grand Harbor in Ninety Six, S.C. In their first year under coach Vici Pate Flesher, the Panthers improved from eighth to fourth.

"These last three days have been everything we have hoped for this season,” Flesher said. “The last few rounds here were by far the best team effort we have had all year. I was very proud of Jess, she did fantastic. Audra had some rough spots and came through. Our two seniors were outstanding and we couldn't have asked for more from Margaret.”

Neese finished fifth overall with a three-day score of 231 (75-78-78). Her 78 on the final day led the Panthers and her 75 on Monday was HPU's best round of the tournament. Neese became HPU's first All-Conference selection since 2008 and best finisher since Ann Marie Dalton won the individual title in 2008.

"I just wanted make a lot of pars and play the course, not the people I was playing with,” Neese said. “It was very exciting to be named to the All-Conference team. I got a little choked up by it all on the last three holes, but other than that it was just great.”

Sophomore Audra McShane was HPU's second finisher, tied for 13th overall with a three-day score of 237 (77-80-80). Freshman Margaret Suchan had a huge breakthrough in the tournament with her score of 243 (86-76-81), which placed her 23rd. Her 76 on the second day of play was the best round of Suchan's career.

Senior Leahanna Norriss tied for 25th with a three-day total of 244 (85-80-79), saving her best round for the final day. Senior Danielle Soderberg tied for 28th in the tournament with a total of 246 (84-81-81).

Coastal Carolina's Jessica Alexander was the individual champion with a 225 (75-78-72) and led the Chanticleers to their second team title in three seasons. Coastal scored 912 (301-312-299) followed by runner-up Gardner-Webb's 930 (316-306-308). Bucknell edged High Point in the last three holes, carding a team 949 (321-320-308), which was just ahead of HPU's 953 (321-314-318). High Point came in ahead of Radford (959), Winthrop (959), defending champ Charleston Southern (960), Presbyterian (1021) and Holy Cross (1063).

Pate Flesher is in her first year at High Point University after leading Methodist University to seven NCAA Div. III titles in a row from 2003-09. She was named NCAA Div. III Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006.