BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn women's golf team will begin its spring season in Daytona Beach, Florida hosting the Lonnie Barton Invitational at LPGA International.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blackbirds were in 10th place after the first round of play, carding 332 and finished in 11th after the third and final round of the tournament. Freshman Sara Ciliberto was the top finisher for LIU in 32nd place. Ciliberto shot 243 for all three rounds of play. Sophomore Lauren Rutherglen was six shots behind Ciliberto, placing 44th after carding 81 in the final round.
ABOUT THE BLACKBIRDS
The young LIU team had its best fall finish at the Bucknell Invitational, where the women placed 10th overall. Sara Ciliberto boasts the best individual finish for the returning Blackbirds from the fall, placing 32nd in a field of 56 golfers, carding 243 over three rounds at the Rutgers Invitational. Sophomore Lauren Rutherglen shot the lowest round in the fall, shooting 75 in the third round of the Yale Invitational. In her inaugural year as a Blackbird, Emma Paschal has been a consistent contributor to the team with her 86.5 shooting average in the fall. The Blackbirds welcome newcomer Mya Jones to the team's roster for the spring season. The freshman hails from Youngstown, Ohio and will be the fourth member of LIU's spring 2016 campaign.
THE LONNIE BARTON INVITE
The Blackbirds have a history of success hosting the invitational. The women's team has won the tournament three out of the last four years, having taken a one year hiatus from hosting the invite during the 2013-2014 season. Last season, the Blackbirds overcame a 17-stroke deficit to win the 2015 Lonnie Barton Invitational, to finish with 625 for the tournament and 11 strokes ahead of second place Siena. Albany was third with 638, followed by Saint Francis U., St. John's, Sacred Heart, Lehigh, Wagner, Bucknell, Quinnipiac, Monmouth, Fairfield, Delaware State and Central Connecticut State.
ABOUT LONNIE BARTON
A passionate coach with a determined work ethic, Lonnie Barton took over the reins as coach of the men's squad in 1996 and turned the program into one of the NEC's most formidable. He coached seven all-conference players over eight years on the men's side, led the program to its first NEC title and NCAA appearance and under his direction the Blackbirds consistently excelled against some of the region's elite teams on a weekly basis. That energy carried over to the women's program, which began in 2001 and finished second in the NEC all three years with Barton at the helm. Barton helped lead LIU to two tournament championships during that stretch and mentored eight All-NEC players. At the age of 51, Barton lost his three-year bout with soft-tissue sarcoma, a form of juvenile cancer, in his lungs and pelvis. He had been undergoing chemotherapy almost two years and only missed one tournament prior to his final spring season.
THE COURSE
The two-round tournament will take place at LPGA International and be played as a par-72 course.
UP NEXT
LIU returns to Daytona Beach, Florida for the Bethune-Cookman Invitational taking place March 14-15.