DAYTONA BEACH, FL – University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) women's golfer Ocean Pangan forced a playoff for the top individual spot in the two-day Eagle Invitational, which concluded on Tuesday.
 
Pangan fired rounds of 76 and 78 on the par-73 layout at LGPA International Jones Course. The freshman from Scottsdale, AZ posted a 36-hole of 154 to tie Queen's University of Charlotte's Natalie Pleyerova for the tournament lead. Pleyerova beat out Pangan in the playoff round; Pleyerova and Pangan closed out the tournament first and second, respectively. Pangan's 36-hole score of 8-over is her best of the season.
 
"Ocean played well to finish in a tie for medalist of the tournament," UIS coach Frank Marsaglia said.
 
UIS captured second with a team score of 635. The Prairie Stars compiled rounds of 322 and 313 to finish four strokes behind tournament winner, Queen's University of Charlotte. Queen's University of Charlotte notched a tournament score of 631. The Queens fended off the Prairie Stars by two strokes on both days, shooting rounds of 320 and 311.
 
Brooke Hill (80-79 – 159) and Maria Espinosa (84-75 – 159) both locked up T-8 finishes. Espinosa's round of 75 was the lowest at the tournament. Taryn Pittman secured 10th (82-81 – 163), finishing with a score 17-over, which is Pittman's season-best 36-hole score relative to par. Jennifer Queller earned a T-24 finish (86-84 – 170) to round out UIS's team scorers.
 
"Maria played very well with the lowest round of the tournament. Taryn, Brooke and Jennifer all showed signs of excellent play and after this week all the players should be ready to shoot there best."
 
Sasha Glickfield, Chelsey Witkowiak and Jordan Neyens each represented UIS as individuals. Glickfield claimed a T-32 finish (89-84 – 173), Witkowiak tied for 37th (93-88 – 181) and Neyens took a T-39 finish (89-94 – 183).
 
Embry-Riddle University came in third with a team score of 642, finishing ahead of Columbus State University (655), the Embry-Riddle 'B' team (674), Eckerd College (679), National Junior College Athletics Association's (NJCAA) Eastern Florida State College (683) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) College of Coastal Georgia (706), which rounds out the team standings.
 
Embry-Riddle's Megan Pollenz (79-76 – 155) secured third while Queen's University of Charlotte's Kylie Nizolek (77-79 – 156) and Embry-Riddle's Lauren Thielen (80-76 – 156) both tied for fourth.
 
The Prairie Stars resume competition in the Harvard Invitational on March 29-30 at WeaverRidge Golf Club in Peoria, IL.