MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (4/17/13) — The Arkansas State women's golf team shot a final-round 302 Wednesday at the Sun Belt Conference Championships to give it a combined 927 that placed it ninth in the final standings, and Red Wolves' true freshman Abi Laker finished a team-best tied for sixth place while collecting all-tournament honors.

The Red Wolves improved their score each round during the 54-hole tournament played on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals, actually showing a 14-stroke improvement from round one to round three.

Laker carded a 69, matching her lowest score this season, in the last round to lead A-State to its best team total for an individual round this spring.  ASU shot a second-round 209 that helped it jump from 10th place to ninth, but it remained in the position as it came up two strokes shy of eighth-place North Texas' combined total.

Laker moved up 12 places in the standings over the duration of the final 18 holes, ending the tournament tied for sixth place with a 221 total.  Laker recorded a 75 and 77 for the first and second rounds, respectively.  She collected her sixth top-25 finish and fifth top-10 finish of the season, while also posting the top finish by an A-State player at the annual tournament since teammate Anna Carling was the 2011 individual medalist.

“It was obviously an emotional finish with our seniors playing in the last tournament of their college careers,” said head coach M.J. Desbiens Shaw.  “I'm extremely happy for Abi and the way she played.  Despite battling an injury, she pulled it together and had a great finish.  It was nice to see that from a freshman, and that says a lot about the future of our team.”

Also competing for the Red Wolves, Carling finished tied for 32nd place with a 234 (84-72-78) and Marie Couffignal tied for 44th place with a 237.  Jennifer Loiacano lowered her score each round and completed the tournament in 47th place with a 239 (82-81-76), while Courtney Manning finished with a 245 (81-85-79) to place 48th.

Florida International led the 11-team field with an 872.  Middle Tennessee finished second with an 888 and South Alabama third with an 890.

ARKANSAS STATE RESULTS
Place, Name (RD 1-RD 2-RD 3--TOTAL)
9, Arkansas State (316-309-302--927)
T6, Abi Laker (75-77-69--221)
T32, Anna Carling (84-72-78--234)
T44, Marie Couffignal (78-79-80--237)
47, Jennifer Loiacano (82-81-76--239)
48, Courtney Manning (81-85-79--245)