Strong Back Nines Lift Colby to Third at Syracuse Invitational

Lakyn Sims led Colby with a 100, good for 12th place at the Syracuse Invitational

Colby’s golfers found their rhythm when it mattered most, using several strong finishes to claim third place at the Syracuse Invitational on Sept. 28.

The Eagles posted a team score of 407 at Tamarisk Golf Course, finishing behind tournament champion Syracuse at 360 and runner-up Goodland at 377.

Lakyn Sims led Colby with a 100, good for 12th place. Her day started out with some trouble collecting double-bogies on the front nine. After making some adjustments, Sims came back around scoring bogies and improving by 4 stokes and she ended on a bright note when she recorded her only par of the day on the par-3 18th hole.

Just one stroke behind Sims, Ali Cox and Alayna Hrnicek tied for 13th with rounds of 101. Cox collected four pars and cut nine strokes from her front-nine score, with three of her pars coming after the turn. Hrnicek also grew stronger as the day progressed, recording three pars and improving by three strokes on the back nine.

Landrie McKee placed 17th with a 105 after shaving five strokes off her front-nine total. Cora DeGood battled through a pair of costly holes on the opening nine that accounted for nine strokes over par, but she refused to let them define her round. DeGood made three pars and improved by four strokes on the back nine to finish 20th with a 108. Hole No. 4 proved especially troublesome, challenging her on both trips around the course.

Morgan Hills completed the Colby lineup with a 125, placing 37th. Hills has had an eventful first season on the golf team experiencing the varsity competition, she started out the day playing consistent but ran into some tough spots midway.

Goodland’s Natalie Cure earned individual medalist honors with a 78. Syracuse’s Bronwyn Lewis and Lakin’s Lileah Villa tied for second with matching rounds of 82.

Set along the Arkansas River, Tamarisk is a scenic but demanding nine-hole course featuring rolling greens, Tamarisk-lined fairways, mature trees, scattered sand bunkers and water on two holes. The golfers played the par-36 layout twice, giving them a second chance to solve its challenges—and several Eagles made the most of that opportunity.

The team will be closing out their season barring weather challenges, their next scheduled tournament will be the GWAC championship hosted at Scott City Golf Course.