CARLISLE, Pa. -- Kutztown University women's golf returned to the course Saturday and Cecelia Knecht (North Charleston, S.C./Fort Dorchester) was on her game. The senior put forth a 10-over par 82 to tie for fourth, while Gabby Cohen (Jeffersonville, N.Y./Sullivan West), Grace Babinchak (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton), Alexis Peet (Greentown, Pa./Wallenpaupack) and Alexis Verdes (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Township) all shot career-best rounds helping the Golden Bears to a third-place team finish at the Dickinson Invitational.

Knecht provided her best scoring round of the fall to date with a team-high nine pars and a birdie on the 422-yard par 5 ninth. She finished one shot back of Marymount's Hunter Gillis and Franklin & Marshall's Janire Egana Vela, who tied for second at 9-over 81.

Cohen broke into the 80s for the first time in her KU career, going out in 4-over 40 behind five pars and completing her round with six pars for an 85. The freshman from Jeffersonville, N.Y., played consistently all afternoon, shooting bogey or better on all but one hole. Cohen ended up 11th of 48 in the individual standings.

One shot behind Cohen was teammate Babinchak with a career-low 86 (+14). Following the same blueprint as Cohen, Babinchak used four pars and 14 bogeys to card a 43 on the front nine and a matching 43 on the back nine. The Hazleton, Pa., native tied for 14th overall and surpassed her former low round of 87, set back in her freshman season of 2020-21.

Concluding KU's contingent of scorers was Olivia Donnini (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood), who tied for 21st with a 17-over 89. Donnini had five pars on the day.

Peet tied for 25th with a career-best 93, including four pars, while Verdes shot a new personal best 103 with three pars.

Marymount (Va.) held off Franklin & Marshall for the team title with a 40-over 328. The Diplomats recorded a 337 (+49), with Kutztown (342, +54), Gettysburg (351, +63) and Arcadia (366, +78) making up the rest of the top five.

Marymount also claimed the individual medalist, as Noelle Jensen cruised to the victory with a 3-over 75, including an eagle on the par 4 fifth. Jensen was the only player to break 80, with Gillis (81), Egana Vela (81), Knecht (82) and Caroline Kurtt (82) completing the top five players.

The Golden Bears compete at the Alvernia Fall Invitational this coming Tuesday, Sept. 27, before hosting the Kutztown Fall Invitational Sunday, Oct. 2, and Monday, Oct. 3, at Moselem Springs Golf Club.
   

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DICKINSON INVITATIONAL
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24, 2022
CARLISLE BARRACKS GOLF COURSE | CARLISLE, PA.
PAR 72, 5609 YARDS
 

Kutztown	342	+54	3rd
Cecelia Knecht (North Charleston, S.C./Fort Dorchester)	82	+10	t-4th
Gabby Cohen (Jeffersonville, N.Y./Sullivan West)	85	+13	t-11th
Grace Babinchak (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton)	86	+14	t-14th
Olivia Donnini (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood)	89	+17	t-21st
Alexis Peet (Greentown, Pa./Wallenpaupack)	93	+21	t-25th
Alexis Verdes (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Township) (ind.)	103	+31	40th