University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Sweet 16: Cox, Team Claim Titles
3/25/2020 9:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Women's Golf Team, Lone Senior Claim Team and Individual Titles In Final Tourney
?? Hi, @wrenbaker, @MeanGreenSports and @UNTsocial ... I think there’s a tower that needs some lighting. #GREENLight?? #GMG ?? ?????? pic.twitter.com/KsycLByCx4
— MeanGreenWGolf (@MeanGreenWGolf) March 10, 2020
They didn't know it at the time, but when the North Texas women's golf team left the BYU Entrada Classic in St. George, Utah as champions, they were also wrapping up their promising season prematurely due to national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not only did the team bring home a trophy in dominant fashion, winning by a 19-stroke margin, thanks to a program-record tying second round score of 283, but the team's lone senior, Lauren Cox, also won her first career individual championship in nail-biting fashion. Cox's three-day total of 216, buoyed by a second-round 69, gave her the win and helped earn her second Conference USA Golfer of the Week honor of the year - the team's third such honor of the year.
Congratulations to @lauren_cox24 and the rest of our team. Bringing home two ??s from Utah!
— MeanGreenWGolf (@MeanGreenWGolf) March 10, 2020
??: https://t.co/VyaxQIppYx #GREENLight?? pic.twitter.com/Y9nGR4Moz1
Win an individual title ?
— MeanGreenWGolf (@MeanGreenWGolf) March 11, 2020
Win a team title ?
Named @ConferenceUSA Golfer of the Week ?
Congrats @lauren_cox24! #GREENLight?? pic.twitter.com/fx5IJ7TKX3
The tournament championship is the first for the Mean Green since the 2010-11 season when the team won four tournaments. Cox's title is the first for an individual since the 2012-13 season when Georgina Mundy won the UALR Women's Golf Classic.
Cox wasn't the only Mean Green golfer who found success over the two-day event. Sophomore Audrey Tan finished in a tie for third at 2-over, while sophomore Patricia Sinolungan tied for fifth at 4-over. Freshman Emilie Ricaud tied for 10th at 8-over, and freshman Marija Jucmane, who competed as an individual, finished tied for 15th at 10-over.
I'm very proud of this win. Wins are rare in college golf because we play against 12-17 teams every event. This was an event we had to win in order to keep our ranking inside the (NCAA tournament) bubble.Head coach Michael Akers
The Mean Green finished the abbreviated season ranked No. 51 in the nation - right on what would have been the NCAA tournament at-large berth bubble. Reaching the tournament as a team was the goal all year long after Cox earned the program's second-ever individual bid a year ago. The final ranking represents a jump of more than 150 spots since Akers' arrival prior to the 2016-17 season. The win in Utah was a perfect way to, unbeknownst to them at the time, wrap up the year and give the program momentum heading into what is set up to be a banner year in 2020-21.
In what will serve as the final season ranking from @Golfstat, we are now at 5??1??.
— MeanGreenWGolf (@MeanGreenWGolf) March 20, 2020
Our hope for an NCAA tourney bid is gone for reasons beyond our control, but what a year we had and what a long way we’ve come (over 150 spots) since @coachakers arrival in 2016! #GREENLight?? pic.twitter.com/yXbQxPdtA8
Back in time... (to Tuesday)#Champs?? #ThrowbackThursday #GREENLight?? pic.twitter.com/zvfIttjSMy
— MeanGreenWGolf (@MeanGreenWGolf) March 12, 2020
It was very satisfying to travel to Utah and win the event going away. It was a little different than most of our events, as we typically play the underdog role. This was an event where we were the best ranked team and had to win to preserve our ranking. Sometimes that is not the best position to be in, but we handled it very well and did a great job of playing the golf course and not the teams we were paired with.Head coach Michael Akers
