Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s golf junior Riley Cooper was the big mover among four Govs who finished in the top-10 at the 2019 F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate, which saw the Govs take runner-up honors after holding off a hard-charging Western Carolina.
IUPUI (900) held on to the top overall team spot, but the Govs (301-302-306—909) picked up their first runner-up finish in the home event since 2016 and their best finish at Clarksville Country Club since winning the 2015 event.
The Catamounts (914) seemed on the verge of narrowing the gap before the Govs pulled away with a late-round surge. Tennessee Tech (924) and Valparaiso (948) ensured that the top-five remained unchanged from Monday.
“A pretty impressive showing, and we probably could’ve had four in the top five if our putters had been working,” said head coach Jessica Cathey following her first home tournament in charge. “Riley had a tough couple of rounds the last two tournaments, and she played the golf she was capable of playing today. She pulled through for us.”
While sophomore Taylor Dedmen’s 224 (72-73-79) kept her in the top five and atop the Austin Peay State University leaderboard, Cooper’s final-round 72 was the dominant final-round for the Govs, catapulting her into an eighth-place finish with a 228 (76-80-72). For Cooper, the result is her first career top-10 finish, best single-round (72) and best 54-hole score (228) as a Gov. A career day indeed for the Clarksville High School product a stone’s throw from her alma mater.
Dedmen’s team-high 35 pars led an Austin Peay charge that saw the Govs earn a tournament-best 162 pars; she also led the Govs with seven birdies en route to a fourth-place finish.
Sophomore Shelby Darnell took ninth overall at 229 (82-71-77). Her 54-hole score was three shots better than her career best and marked her second career top-10. She led the tournament in par-4 scoring (4.17 strokes/hole), one shot ahead of Cooper, and helped the Govs lead the entire tournament in par-4 scoring (4.37/hole), 12 shots ahead of Tennessee Tech.
Senior Meghann Stamps picked up her second career top-10 finish at the home event, tying for 10th at 230 (82-71-77). She birdie No. 1 and No. 10, with the first chirper one of two birdies on the hardest hole of the final day.
“We played a little scared and a little not to lose today rather than being aggressive and trusting their games,” Cathey said. “We’ll work on our mental game and our putting heading into the next tournament.”
Next Up For APSU Women’s Golf
The APSU Govs will be back in action next week at the Chris Banister Classic in Glencoe, Alabama, October 7th-8th.
Box Score
F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate
Clarksville Country Club
Clarksville, TN
Dates: Sep 30 – Oct 01
| Finish | School – Players | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Totals |
| 2 | Austin Peay State University | 301 | 302 | 306 | 909 |
| T 4 | Taylor Dedmen (2) | 72 | 73 | 79 | 224 |
| 8 | Riley Cooper (4) | 76 | 80 | 72 | 228 |
| 9 | Shelby Darnell (3) | 73 | 78 | 78 | 229 |
| T 10 | Meghann Stamps (1) | 82 | 71 | 77 | 230 |
| T 37 | Andrea Presilla (5) | 80 | 87 | 83 | 250 |
