Freshman leads USCB rally on final day at Sun Conference tournament

USC Beaufort freshman Blanca Porta closed out her stay at the Sun Conference tournament with an even-par 72, grabbing a share of runner-up honors Tuesday and helping the Sand Sharks rally to finish third in the team competition.

Blanca turned in the second-lowest round of the day at Grasslands Golf & Country Club, finishing at 9-over 225 to finish tied with Keiser’s Elsa Westin for second among individuals. Keiser’s Caroline Retabi ran away with medalist honors, finishing three rounds at 2-over 218.

Franzi Knoetsch carded a 76 and Emily Turner turned in a 79 as the Sand Sharks posted a 307 team score on the final day, overtaking Southeastern for third place.

Keiser cruised to the team title with a 908 total, eight shots clear of SCAD Savannah. USCB was another eight shots back at 924, as Knoetsch tied for fifth individually and joined Porta on the all-conference roster.

The Sand Sharks now await next week’s announcement of qualifiers for the NAIA National Championship, set to begin May 23 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. USCB has posted top-10 finishes each of the past two seasons, including a tie for eighth a year ago.

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Freshman leads USCB rally on final day at Sun Conference tournament."