The Penn women's golf team guaranteed itself a spot in next year's East Coast Athletic Conference Championships this weekend by placing 14th in the 23-team event.
The Quakers had a combined score of 696 -- 346 on day one and 350 on day two. This placed them 77 strokes behind champion James Madison, which finished with a score of 619.
Penn was led by freshman Lauren Eveland, who shot a team-best combined score of 168, tying her for 31st overall.
Sophomore Valerie Wong placed second on the team and 46th overall with a combined score of 172. She led the team on day two with an 84.
Eveland was somewhat disappointed with the team's result.
"I think we could have done better, but there were injuries," she said.
Wong praised Stacy Kress for playing despite an injury.
"Our team captain was injured, she had back problems, but she participated anyway, which was great for the team," she said.
Freshman Melissa Aylor and Kress, a junior, also contributed for the Red and Blue. Aylor shot a combined 175 over the two days, and Kress shot 181.
The ECACs are an invitation-only event. The top 14 teams each year are invited back to the tournament the next year, meaning that Penn has secured an automatic invite for next year's competition.
The team did not score as well as it had the previous week in Rutgers, something Eveland attributes to a longer course.
"The course was really tough. It was really long," she said. "It was a tough competition."
Overall, the Red and Blue were more pleased with their result last weekend in New Brunswick, N.J. They placed third at the Oct. 12-13 Rutgers Invitational, their best finish all year.
"We definitely did better as a team at the last tournament," Wong said.
Penn was one of five Ivy League teams to take part in the ECACs.
Princeton was first among Ivy League teams, finishing second in the tournament with a score of 646. Brown finished third at 647, and Yale was fifth at 662.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.