Kent State senior golfer Martina Gavier led the women’s golf team to a second-place finish at this weekend’s Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, MI.

Gavier finished second overall in the 54-hole tournament, posting an even par.

Kent State coach Mike Morrow said he was pleased with Gavier’s performance.

“An even par on (Forest Akers West Golf Course) is very, very good for 54 holes,” he said. “(Notre Dame’s Nicole Zhang) got very hot and just sort of ran away with it. In the past, that would have been good enough to win the tournament.”

Zhang won the tournament with a nine-under par.

In the first round Saturday, Gavier carded two birdies en route to shooting a three-over par. She turned in her best performance in the second round, finishing four-under, which included back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes.

The No. 30 Flashes finished with a team score of 31-over par. Notre Dame finished five strokes ahead of Kent State for the victory. Five-time defending tournament champion and host Michigan State finished third with a score of 32-over par.

Morrow said he was happy with the way his team played in the first tournament of the season.

“To beat (Michigan State) on their home course is a nice accomplishment,” he said. “Things weren’t going our way early (yesterday). We were trying, but nothing was happening. Before you know it, we were seven or eight strokes down.”

After the first round Saturday, the Flashes sat in fourth place. Kent State made up ground in the second, taking first place by two strokes over Notre Dame.

Kent State junior Mercedes Germino finished with a four-over par at the end of Saturday, which was second best for the Flashes.

“It was a fun weekend,” Gavier said. “We had the lead after 36 holes, and it was exciting to be in contention.”

Yesterday, Kent State lost the momentum as Notre Dame took the lead for the win. The Flashes recorded 26 bogeys and four double bogeys in the final round to drop on the leaderboard.

Gavier led the Flashes with a score of one-over par in the third round of the tournament. She had four birdies, including a birdie on the par-four 18th hole.

Germino finished seventh overall with an eight-over par. She had five total birdies, with three of those coming in the second round.

Kent State senior Sarah Bradley finished tied for 21st in the tournament with a score of 17-over par. Bradley had the only eagle for the Flashes this weekend on the par-five eighth hole in round three.

The Flashes return to the golf course next weekend as they travel to South Bend, IN., to participate in the Notre Dame Invitational.

Mary Fossum Invitational

Individual Results:

1. Martina Gavier (2nd): Even par

2. Mercedes Germino (7th): 4-over

3. Mandi Morrow (T-15th): 14-over

4. Sarah Bradley (T-21st): 17-over

5. Shamira Marshall (T-34th): 20-over

Team Results

1. Notre Dame

2. Kent State

3. Michigan State

4. Iowa State

5. Long Beach State

6. Michigan

7. Toledo

8. James Madison

9. Eastern Michigan

10. Grand Valley State

11. Ferris State

Contact Brad Tansey at [email protected].