TUSCALOOSA, AL – The Northwest Mississippi Community College women's golf team saw a slow start for most of the team on day two of the NJCAA Division II Women's Golf Championship at the Ol' Colony Golf Complex on Wednesday, finishing the day still in ninth place in the overall standings.
The day was one Head Coach Adam Payne said the team never really got the group's momentum going.
"I felt like we never settled into the rounds today," Payne said. "We really fought emotions all day and never really got our feet under us, but we are only halfway through, so still a lot of golf to be played."
Northwest sits at 124-over after two days, putting them 18 strokes back of Mesa (AZ) Community College and just 26 back of Southern Union State Community College in fifth place at 98-over.
The top spot for the Rangers was once again held down by Bella McNeil, who put down an impressive first nine after teeing off on the tenth hole, going two-over on the front. After making the turn, McNeil ran into a tough stretch of holes, double-bogeying three, four, and six before finishing the round with a 12-over.
"On the front nine, I had a good rhythm with my driver, and I was hitting greens," McNeil said. "I wasn't making any putts, but I felt good with my swing."
McNeil still finished the day in eleventh place in the field, and sits ten strokes back of first place, and just one stroke back of a tie for tenth.
"I'm proud, but I do have two more rounds, so hopefully I can keep it together," she said.
Behind her, the trio of Analeigh Little, Madison Baker, and Zae'Ja Davis all put similar scores on the board. Little had a pair of triple-bogeys on the front nine but still finished with an eight-over on the back nine.
Making the turn to the front, Little didn't have any triples, but still had bogeys or worse on six holes, finishing with a 17-over on the day, and moving back to a tie for 33rd at 27-over for the tournament.
Baker had her best round of the tournament and nearly finished with a score that broke 90. After making the turn at nine-over, the sophomore would play the next seven holes to just four-over, but double bogeys on the final two holes would cost her a chance to really make a move up the leader board.
"Both days I started a little rough, but today I was able to keep my composure, so I played a little bit better," Baker said. "I could have played a lot better, but I made some silly mistakes, and on this course, that makes it difficult."
She finished the day at 38-over par and tied for 51st.
Davis was able to fight through a stretch of four straight double bogeys on the 12th through the 15th and made the turn at ten-over. On the front nine, Davis only picked up one par on the fourth, but also never had any holes that really got away from her, finishing with a 95, and is going into the third day tied for 58th and at 41-over.
Sarah Niblett closed out the Rangers in the field, and it was a tough day on the scorecard, but she was bitten with bad luck after she was injured on the first hole and after toughing out the round, finished with a 33-over on the day and is 61-over on the tournament, sitting in 76th place in the field.
The Rangers shot 16 strokes back from their day one score, going 70-over on the day after going just 54-over on the first day.
They will look to return to that first-day success when they tee off on the first tee on Thursday, with Addison Forbes leading off at 8 P.M.
