Nicole and Abbey help Nova

Southeastern win NCAA
Division 2 women's team

championship

Nicole Whitmore, pictured first right, a junior student from Milton Keynes, and Abbey Gittings, pictured far right, a Warwickshire county player from Tamworth, helped Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, to win the NCAA Division 2 women's team championship in temperatures in the high 80s at Longbow Golf Club, Mesa in the Arizona Desert on Saturday.

Nicole had scores of 75, 75, 73 and 79 to finished joint seventh in a field of 72 behind winner and team-mate Sandra Changkija (74-67-71-72 for level par 284 over a 6159yd, par-71 course). Sandra won by six shots after leader Maria Luz Besio (Newberry College) had a nightmare last round of 82 after scores of 71, 68 and 69. Maria finished runner-up on 290.

Abbey Gittings had scores of 74, 80, 74 and 79 for joint 16th place 307.

Carley Warrington (Belmont Abbey) from Bradwell finished joint 42nd with scores of 81, 79, 80 and 80.

Nova Southeastern (1180) won the team title by a comfortable margin from Rollins College (1220) and Florida Southern (1221) in a field of 12 college squads.