CORTLAND, N.Y. – Sophomore Iyene Essien earned second place as an individual and led Union College women's golf to a second-place finish as a team at SUNY Cortland's Martin/Wallace Invitational, held on Saturday and Sunday at Cortland Country Club.
 
As a team, Union shot a round of 338 on Sunday to finish the weekend at 680, tied for second place with the host Red Dragons. Ithaca College shot a 327 on Sunday to end the weekend in first place with a two-day score of 642.
 
Essien carded the lowest round of the weekend for any player with a two-over 74 on Sunday's second day, the fourth-lowest single-round score in program history and tied for the third lowest in relation to par. As a result, she finished the weekend at 154, one stroke back of Ithaca's Annelise Stencel. Two of Essien's three birdies on Sunday came on par-fives, helping her to finish even-par for the weekend on the course's five longest roles, the best score of any player.
 
Sophomore Carinna Anastasio moved one spot up the leaderboard into a tie for sixth place after an 85 on Sunday to end the weekend at 166. She had two birdies as part of a front-nine 39, then came in with a 46 to post the best two-day score of her collegiate career.
 
Senior Shea White shot an 87 on day two to finish the weekend in 13th place at 175, followed by first-year Emma Doherty, who shot a 92 on Sunday to end one spot outside the top 20 in 22nd place with a weekend 185. Sophomore Ella Golas took five shots off yesterday's score with an 94 that placed her in a tie for 27th place for the weekend at 193.
 
Senior Emily Evans shot a 110 on Sunday to finish 39th at 219, followed close behind by classmate Delaney Fox, who shaved 10 strokes off yesterday's score with a 109 for a weekend 228.
 
Union will have one more tuneup before the conference championships, when the Garnet Chargers celebrate Senior Day at the Union Spring Invitational, held on Saturday, April 25 beginning at 9:20 a.m. at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course.