Tarbet’s 68 Ties SAC Record, Lady Eagles Win Montreat Invitational by 80 Strokes

BREVARD, N.C. – Carson-Newman senior Jessica Tarbet (Corryton, Tenn.) fired a South Atlantic Conference record 4-under par 68 in the final round of the Montreat Fall Invitational to lead C-N to the tournament title earlier this week at the Glen Cannon Country Club in Brevard, N.C.

Carson-Newman cruised to an 80-stroke win in the event, dropping South Atlantic Conference foes Mars Hill College and Brevard College in the process. It finished at 624 (321-303), 48-over par as a team, and had four of the tournament's top-five finishers.

Tarbet's 68 was part of a two-day, even par 144, good enough to top teammate Heather Houser (Kingsport, Tenn.) by 11 strokes for tournament Medalist honors. Her round ties Newberry's Maria Besio's 68 at the NCAA Division II Championships last spring for the lowest single-round score in SAC history. It is only the seventh round in SAC history below par.

C-N shot 303 as a team in the final round, 15-over par. The round was the third lowest in SAC history, six shots shy of C-N's 297 at last year's Elite Linen Services Invitational held at Lambert Acres Golf Club in Maryville, Tenn.

Houser fired a 155 to finish second at the tournament, including a 76 in the final round.

Junior Erica Ray (Maryville, Tenn.) added a 160 to finish in fourth, while fellow junior Jennifer Oliver (Knoxville, Tenn.) closed at 161 to finish the tournament in fifth.

Freshman Mary Tunnell (Memphis, Tenn.) and sophomore Melanie Manis (Louisville, Tenn.) carded a 78 and an 80 on day one to post counted scores for the Lady Eagles.

C-N wraps up its fall schedule Oct. 18-19 at the Patsy Rendleman Invitational held at Salisbury Country Club in Salisbury, N.C.