India McPeak.
PHOTO BY MONICA BRADBURN
By John Manley
Bowling Green gymnast India McPeak equaled a career best score on the beam in finishing co-second in that event at the Mid America Conference Championship meet in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The senior from Bangor, Co. Down finished with an average score of 9.925, which was equaled by teammate Laura Mitchell and exceeded only by Central Michigan’s Katy Clements, who was awarded 9.950. Bowling Green finished third in the team competition, which was won by Central Michigan, the host school. The Falcons were nipped, 195.875-195.850, by Northern Illinois for second place.
MEN’S LACROSSE
Tom Lyons scored a goal and assisted on two tallies as Illinois Wesleyan routed Dubuque, 22-7, last Tuesday on the road. He also got credit for two ground balls and for causing two turnovers. Two days later, the Titans visited DePauw and left with a 24-9 victory. Lyons assisted on one goal in this contest. Lyons, a junior, has played for the Irish National Team. His paternal grandparents, Tommy “Dixie” and Kathleen, hail from County Mayo. Illinois Wesleyan is now 6-2.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Sinead Lohan of Miami (Fla.), split two matches at second singles last week. The Waterford senior, who is ranked 71st by the Intercollegiate Tennis Assn., handled Virginia’s Cassie Mercer, 7-5, 6-1, in a 5-2 Miami loss to the Cavaliers. Miami then lost, 6-1, to Duke, with Lohan falling, 6-4, 6-3, to Meible Chi, who is ranked no. 60.
MEN’S GOLF
Reigning NAIA champion Rowan Lester got fourth place in the Battle at Primm in Primm Valley, Nev. The Dublin sophomore knocked out rounds of 68, 69 and 65, the latter of which was co-low for the final round. His 8-under-par 202 left him seven strokes shy of Oklahoma City’s David Meyers, the medalist.
Oakland University’s Marc Norton tied for 10th place in the FAU Spring Championship at Osprey Point in Boca Raton, Fla. The Belfast junior shot rounds of 72, 72 and 70 to finish four strokes under par and 11 behind the medalist, Jimmy Hervol of Connecticut. Bethune-Cookman senior Daniel Brennan of Shannon, Co. Clare shared 34th place at 218 (73-72-73).
Louisville sophomore John Murphy finished joint-25th in the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla. The Kinsale, Co. Cork resident posted rounds of 73, 72 and 73, which left him two strokes over par for the event and 11 behind Purdue’s Brian Carlson, the low scorer.
Brian Murtagh of Cardinal Stritch University overcame a first-round 79 in his first competitive round of the spring season to bounce back with 72 in the second and final round of the Purgatory Intercollegiate at Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville, Ind. Murtagh, a senior from Galway, tied for 24th place, 18 strokes behind Julien Sale of Indian Hills Community College, the medal winner.
Charlotte’s Conor Purcell took down a share of 32nd place in the Linger Longer Invitational at Great Waters Golf Club in Eatonton, Ga. Purcell, a sophomore from Malahide, Dublin, fired rounds of 73, 72 and 74 to finish three strokes over par and 17 in back of Alabama’s Lee Hodges, the individual champion.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Arizona State’s Olivia Mehaffey tied for ninth place in the Ping Invitational at the Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz. The Belfast sophomore shot rounds of 73, 71 and 71, for the best score on her team. She was a stroke under par for the tournament and eight in back of Georgia’s Jillian Hollis, the leader of the pack.
Ninth place is also where Duke’s Leona Maguire found herself after 54 holes of the Evans Derby Intercollegiate at the Auburn University Club in Alabama. The senior from Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan was good for rounds of 71, 70 and 71, which was four strokes under par and 10 behind Arkansas’ Maria Fassi, the medalist. Further down the leaderboard stood Auburn’s Julie McCarthy, who shot 222 (71-75-76) and garnered a share of 38th place, and Duke’s Lisa Maguire, who shot 229 (78-71-80). The latter is Leona’s twin sister. McCarthy is a freshman from Swords, Co. Dublin.
Kansas State’s Niamh McSherry earned a share of 25th place in the Mountain View Collegiate at Mountain View Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz. A freshman from Lurgan, Co. Armagh, McSherry shot rounds of 75, 71 and 78, which left her eight strokes over par and 11 behind San Jose State’s Abegail Arevalo, the medalist.
