LANCASTER, Pa. - Can eight be great for Gettysburg?
That's the hope for the seven-time defending champion Bullet women's golf team as they head into the 18th annual Centennial Conference championship this weekend at the par-70 Conestoga CC layout in Lancaster.
Since 2014, Gettysburg has captured each championship tournament by 30 or more shots over the two-day, 36-hole event. But the 2018 version looks to be much tighter.
The Bullets hold the lowest team average in the Conference at 362.00, while Centennial newcomer Marymount is right on their heels at 363.28. Dickinson is a close third at 379.33, while Muhlenberg will also contend with its 381.20 average.
The race for medalist honors should also come down to the final holes. Marymount junior Alessandra Bertacche (Portogruaro, Italy) tops the Centennial with an 81.92 stroke average and has a victory and nine top-10 finishes among her nine events this season. Gettysburg sophomore Skylar Frankiewicz (Concord, Mass.), who finished fifth a year ago earning All-CC honors, has won back-to-back events at Dickinson and Gettysburg and has an 83.75 average. Muhlenberg junior Aine Filler (Moorestown, N.J.) also has consecutive wins, capturing titles at Ursinus and Muhlenberg. A two-time first-team All-CC honoree, She has placed in the top-10 in all four of her events, has an 84.75 stroke average and cane become just the 12th player in Conference history to earn first-team All-Centennial with a top-five finish. Marymount senior Alexis Miller (Potomac Falls, Va.) is fourth with an 85.36 average.
Also in the hunt for a top-five finish and All-Centennial honors are Ursinus junior Emily McGarrigle (Wernersville, Pa.), Gettysburg soph Hannah Fireman (Ambler, Pa.), Muhlenberg soph Kat Hodges (The Woodlands, Texas), Marymount junior Brandie Hartzell (Glen Burnie, Md.) and Dickinson senior Lisi Mueller (Sterling, Va.) and first-year Olivia Brown (Chevy Chase, Md.). Fireman placed third last season to earn Centennial Rookie of the Year and All-Conference laurels.
The 36-hole tournament begins at noon on Saturday and concludes with noon tee times on Sunday.