SALISBURY, N.C. — Tusculum University sophomore Reagan Padilla posted a 54-hole career low total 220 including a final round 72 to finish tied for third place at the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Golf Championship.
The Pioneers closed out the tournament with a final day 313 to record a three-day score of 954 and finish ninth in the team competition.
Anderson University, the seventh-ranked team in NCAA Division II, claimed its third straight SAC title as the Trojans led wire-to-wire and posted a team total 879 for a 24-stroke victory over runner-up Limestone University, who carded the low score of the day with its 293.
Host Catawba, along with Wingate and Lincoln Memorial, all shot 906 and finished in a three-way tie for third place. Carson-Newman finished sixth with 919, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne (926), Newberry (930), Tusculum, Coker (969), Emory & Henry (999), Mars Hill (1043) and UVA Wise (1069).
Padilla’s 220 is the second-lowest 54-hole school in school history and one shot off the record carded by Nilubol Panno at last year’s SAC Championship. Her round included three birdies, four bogeys and 11 pars. Her third place finish is tied for the third-best showing at the SAC Championship by a Pioneer in the 25 years TU has been a member of the league. The only two finishes better are the individual titles won by Rachel McFarland (2003) and Shannon Palenkas (2007). The third place finish is the best by a TU player since Ciara Rattana’s third-place showing in 2017.
Dilyara Bulambayeva of Lincoln Memorial captured the individual medal with her five-over par total 218, winning by one shot over runner-up Aly Francis of Anderson and two shots clear of Padilla and Limestone’s Claudia Hastings. For her efforts, Padilla was named to the SAC All-Tournament Team.
TU freshman Anna Ahonen tied for 24th place with her tournament score of 80-76-76=232. Senior Adrienne O’Brien finished 46th with 80-85-84=249, sophomore Lindsay Self placed 48th with 90-82-81=253 and senior Emilie Bergh-Jacobsen shot 91-87-85=263 to tie for 54th.
Padilla also claimed her team-leading eighth top-5 performance of the season and ninth of her career which moves her into a tie for fifth all-time with former SAC Player of the Year Emee Herbert (2011-2013).
Padilla lowered her season stroke average to 74.32 which is a new program record, surpassing Katie Tomassoni’s 2018-2019 average of 75.65.
SOFTBALL Pioneers Sweep
Tusculum swept Young Harris in a doubleheader on Tuesday.
In game one, Emily Sappington collected her 600th career strikeout, increasing her program record. Gabi Nicholson tied the single-game sacrifice fly mark with a pair. In the nightcap, Abby Hunter became the fourth player to steal four bases in a single game.
Tusculum (26-19, 14-8 SAC) plays at Newberry at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Game 1
Tusculum 9
Young Harris 0 (5)
Sappington threw a one-hit shutout as the Pioneer bats came alive to run-rule the Mountain Lions.
Tusculum’s Danielle Jason and Claire Smeltzer each notched multiple hits, while three Pioneers were credited with a pair of RBI: Nicholson, Sammy Jimenez, and Makayla Bush. Ellie Alvarez also drew two walks.
Sappington (11-5) shut out Young Harris on only 78 pitches, striking out five with the one hit.
Game 2
Tusculum 6
Young Harris 3
The Pioneers stole seven bases. Alvarez and Hunter each went 3-for-3, while the Alvarez had four RBI.
Tusculum’s Ireland Cavanaugh (9-10) picked up the win against her former team in her longest outing of the season. The senior went six frames, allowing three runs on six hits with a strikeout on 83 pitches. Natalie Spaitis finished the seventh with two walks and a strikeout, assisting in a game-ending double play.
MEN’S TENNIS Pioneers All-SAC
ROCK HILL, S.C. — Two members of the Tusculum University men’s tennis team were selected All-Conference by the South Atlantic Conference, the league office announced Wednesday.
Senior Nemanja Subanovic was a second-team selection in singles, while sophomore Will Gee was a third-team pick in voting conducted by the conference’s 13 head coaches.
Subanovic played nearly the entire season at number one singles for the Pioneers and compiled a 6-12 overall record at the flight, including a 4-6 mark in conference play. Subanovic ended the year with an overall singles record of 8-12.
The Subotica, Serbia native is now a three-time second-team All-SAC honoree in singles, and has a career singles mark of 46-40.
Gee is second on the team in singles wins for the Pioneers, going 15-12 overall and 10-11 in dual matches, including a 5-6 mark in conference competition. Gee had a 6-3 record at flight two for the Pioneers.
A native of Faversham, England, Gee has a two-year record of 23-18 in singles for the Pioneers.
Edoardo Cecere was selected as Player of the Year by the SAC head coaches, with Freshman of the Year honors going to Yi-Hsuan Chen of UVA Wise. Derrick Taylor of Wingate was voted Coach of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to a perfect 12-0 record in conference play.
The Pioneers will open the SAC Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament against Lincoln Memorial at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, South Carolina.
WOMEN’S TENNIS Pioneers All-SAC
ROCK HILL, S.C. — The South Atlantic Conference has announced its All-Conference teams in women’s tennis for the 2024 season, with three members of the Tusculum University squad earning honors.
Junior Elodie Baechler was a first-team selection in singles for the Pioneers, while seniors Valentina Loretz and Paulina Loretz were second-team picks in singles. In addition, the doubles team of Baechler and Valentina Loretz were a second-team choice by the conference’s 13 head coaches.
Baechler posted a 15-6 singles record for the Pioneers, including an 11-4 mark in dual matches and a 6-4 mark in league play at primarily flights one and two. Baechler, a native of La Rippe, Switzerland, has a 42-36 career singles record for the Pioneers.
Valentina Loretz was 16-9 in singles this season, going 13-7 in dual matches and 8-3 in conference play. Loretz had a winning record at each of the top three singles flights, including a 4-0 mark at flight three. The San Mateo Atenco, Mexico native is 60-27 in her career in singles.
Paulina Loretz was 14-9 overall in singles, and went 12-7 in dual matches and 8-3 in conference. She played most of the season at flights three and four, going 8-4 at flight four. Loretz is 61-38 all-time in singles at Tusculum.
In doubles, Baechler and Valentina Loretz were selected second-team All-SAC for the second straight season. The duo played at number-one doubles all season for the Pioneers and finished with an 8-8 record in dual matches, and a 14-10 overall mark. In two seasons as a team, the duo has compiled a 27-15 record in doubles competition.
SAC Player of the Year honors went to Eva Siska of Wingate, while Runa Muderrisoglu of Lenoir-Rhyne was Freshman of the Year. Wingate head coach Derrick Taylor was honored as Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulldogs to first place in the SAC with a perfect 12-0 record in league play.
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