SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's golf team will make the short trip to Pinehaven Country Club for the 2025 Liberty League Women's Golf Championships, held on Saturday and Sunday afternoon in Guilderland.
 
The two-day event tees off on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., followed by a noon tee-off on Sunday. For those that can't make it to the course this weekend, live scoring will be available.
 
Last season, Union took fifth place out of six squads at the Liberty League Championship, posting rounds of 373 and 396 at Pinehaven. New York University captured the conference title with a two-day score of 605, 18 strokes ahead of co-runners-up Wellesley College and Ithaca College (623).
 
Union enters the postseason boasting the best scoring average in program history, averaging 333.46 strokes per round so far in 13 full team rounds this season, and is ranked 14th in the East Region and fourth among Liberty League squads.  The Garnet Chargers already boast five of the nine lowest single-round scores in program history this season, including a round of 322 against St. Lawrence University last week that is the second-lowest ever by a Union quartet. The team has been especially hot so far this spring, with three of the program's top-six rounds coming at the team's three spring events. Union also has recorded three of the top-five two-day scores ever this season, led by a 654 at Cortland's Martin/Wallace Invitational earlier this month that is second-lowest in program annals.

First-year Iyene Essien is leading the way for Union this season, averaging a team-best 77.38 strokes per round over 13 rounds. The first-year, who enters the weekend ranked 29th in the region and 138th nationally, has recorded the team's eight lowest scores of the season and boasts two individual victories and six top-five finishes in seven events so far in 2024-25. She got her collegiate career off to an electrifying start with a program-record two-under 70 in her debut at the St. Lawrence Fall Invitational in August and has carded only one round over 80 this year. She already boasts three of the four lowest rounds in program history, including a pair of 75s at Ithaca and Cortland earlier this season.
 
Senior co-captain Liz Bentsianov ranks second on the team by averaging 82.46 strokes per round this season, a mark that sits fourth on the school single-season scoring list. The senior has finished inside the top 10 in five of the team's seven events this year, starting off with a season-best round of 79 at St. Lawrence in August. Bentsianov is the program's only two-time All-Liberty League honoree, having earned honorable mention as a first-year and first-team laurels as a sophomore. Last season she shot rounds of 80 and 81 to miss All-Conference recognition by two strokes. She boasts six of the top 14 rounds in program history, led by a career-best 75 as a sophomore at the NYU Fall Invitational.
 
Junior Shea White has averaged 84.00 strokes per round so far in her third collegiate season to rank third on the team and seventh on the school single-season scoring ledger. She matched the best round of her collegiate career last week against St. Lawrence, earning her first individual medalist honor with a seven-over 79. She has carded four rounds of 80 or below in 2024-25 and has earned top-10 finishes in each of the last four events.

First-year Carinna Anastasio will be fourth in the Union lineup this weekend after averaging 88.38 strokes over her first 13 collegiate rounds. She broke 80 for the first time at the Wallace/Martin Invitational earlier this month and has recorded four of her five lowest rounds of the year during the spring season. The first-year has three top-10 finishes to her credit this year.

Senior Katerina Dimacopoulos will round out Union's quintet this weekend. The co-captain is averaging 96.69 strokes per round on the year and is headed into the postseason on a high note after carding a career-best round of 88 to earn seventh place against St. Lawrence last weekend. 
 
The winner of this weekend's conference championship will earn the Liberty League's automatic qualifier into the 2025 NCAA Div. III Championships, which will be held at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., on May 13-16.