Led by junior Anna Scott's fifth-place finish, the 36th-ranked Georgia State University women's golf team claimed a tie for second in the Canes and Cardinals Classic in Miami Lakes, Florida on Tuesday, trumping eight teams ranked in the national top 80.

The Panthers posted a third-round team score of 297 (+9) to finish tied with 35th-ranked Furman with a three-round total of 884 (+20). Completing their regular season, the Panthers finished in the top five in eight of the year's nine tournaments and for their third consecutive event.

“I'm really ecstatic about the way our girls played,” said Georgia State head coach Cathy Mant. “We were in a position to move to the top the entire event, and while we didn't win, the girls played great and everybody contributed.”

Notably, the Panthers defeated 25th-ranked Notre Dame and 33rd-ranked Tulsa in a field with five teams from the nation's top 50.

Individually, Scott claimed fifth overall with a three-round score of 217 (+1) after two sub-par rounds of 71 (-1) and a final-round score of 75 (+3). Freshman Iliska Verwey, who ranks 39th nationally, finished tied for 13th overall after a final-round score of 73 (+1) to card a score of 221 (+5) for the event.

In addition to Scott and Verwey's finishes, every Panther finished in the top 45 of the 77-player field. Redshirt freshman Sandra Maier and sophomore Cathrine Madsen each finished tied for 30th (226, +10), while junior Claire Starkie claimed a tie for 44th (230, +14).

“The girls all have the talent to play well and they played up to their abilities this week and showed they can score low,” said Mant.

The Canes and Cardinals Classic, co-hosted by event champion Louisville (871, +7) and eighth-place Miami (895, +31), was played on the par-72, 6,210-yard Senator Course at Don Shula's Golf Resort.

The 54-hole event was delayed by weather on multiple occasions, with Monday's first-round start delayed for rain and the conclusion of the first day's second round suspended due to lightening. The final eight holes of the second round were played early Tuesday morning before third-round action.

The Panthers now turn their focus to the 2008 Colonial Athletic Association Championship, which begins on April 18 in Williamsburg, Va.

“We're looking forward to [the conference championship],” said Mant. “I think this performance shows we can compete with the best teams in the country at Regionals. Now, we need to go out and perform at the championship to get there.”

Check GeorgiaStateSports.com for updates prior to the CAA Championships.


Georgia State Individual Results:
5 ? Anna Scott ? 71-71-75 - 217
T13 ? Iliska Verwey ? 72-76-73 - 222
T30 ? Sandra Maier ? 76-72-78 - 226
T30 ? Cathrine Madsen ? 77-75-74 - 226
T44 ? Claire Starkie ? 74-81-75 ? 230

Team Results:
1 - Louisville, Univ. of - 284-297-290 - 871, +7
2 - Georgia State Univ. - 293-294-297 - 884, +20
Furman University - 303-289-292 - 884, +20
4 - Notre Dame, U. of - 298-299-289 - 886, +22
5 - Tulsa, University of - 294-302-292 - 888, +24
6 - Charleston, Coll. of - 297-296-296 - 889, +25
7 - South Florida - 296-299-298 - 893, +29
8 - Miami, U. of - 300-300-295 - 895, +31
9 - Missouri, U. of - 306-300-291 - 897, +33
10 - Kansas State Univ. - 299-301-302 - 902, +38
11 - Mississippi St. U. - 301-313-294 - 908, +44
12 - Middle Tennessee St. - 302-309-304 - 915, +51
13 - Fla. International - 313-301-305 - 919, +55
14 - Boise State Univ. - 313-321-301 - 935, +71