Team misses Gavier, but freshman Dreher shines over weekend

The Kent State women’s golf team was short-handed at the Mercedes-Benz Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn., this weekend, which may have led to the team’s seventh-place finish out of 18 teams.

Senior Kirby Dreher led four freshmen – Mercedes Germino, Mandi Morrow, Shamira Marshall, and McKenzie Jackson – in this weekend’s tournament, without the help of sophomore Martina Gavier, who finished in a tie for 19th at the World Amateur Team Championship this weekend.

Kent State coach Mike Morrow said having Gavier would have made a positive impact this weekend, but he was pleased with the way the rest of the women played.

“We had two players in the top 15, which is very good,” Morrow said.

MERCEDES-BENZ INVITATIONAL (PAR 72) Kirby Dreher: 3-under-par (75-68-70) Mercedes Germino: 2-over-par (73-73-72) Shamira Marshall: 11-over-par (76-76-75) Mandi Morrow: 14-over-par (76-77-77) McKenzie Jackson: 18-over-par (78-80-76)

“The way I played was pretty much the same as the team,” Dreher said. “I struggled the first round but came along during the second and third.”

The Flashes ended the first day in 12th place, after posting a 300 team score. Kent State lowered its score to 294 and 293 in the second and third rounds, breaking into the top 10 to finish the tournament.

“We kept getting better and better and finished up in good fashion,” Morrow said.

The team has been focusing on ending strong, and Dreher is pleased that it shows.

“I think compared to the last two tournaments we played, we finished well,” Dreher said. “The last tournament we played we had a couple bad finishing holes as a team, and that’s something we’ve been working on.”

Contact sports reporter Brittany Tatgenhorst at [email protected].