By COURTLIN HAYGARTH | HSU Sports Network

HOT SPRINGS — Prior to this week, Henderson State won both the GAC Championship and the Central Region Championship in its last two tournaments at Hot Springs Country Club by a combined 63 strokes. At this week’s Battle for the Belt, the No. 2 Reddies put 65 strokes between them and second place for a final score of 23-over 887.

Arkansas Tech finished in second at 87-over 951 with Arkansas-Monticello following close behind at 89-over 953. Southern Nazarene (96-over 960) and Southern Arkansas (142-over 1006) finished out the all-GAC event. 

Henderson occupied the Top-5 individual spots, starting with Gracen Blount, who won her first tournament of 2022, finishing the 54-hole event with a 5-over 221, including a field-best even-par 72 in the final round which featured an eagle on the par 5, 457-yard first hole. This is Blount’s first individual win since last season’s Central Region Championships.

One week after winning the National Championship Preview, Allie Bianchi finished posted a runner-up finish with a 6-over 222. After sitting at 3-over through 15 of the final 18 holes for the final day, the Allen, Texas native carded two birdies on the final three holes to finish second.

Jinna Boonbumroongsuk set a new personal best inidividual finish as a member of the HSU golf program, placing third with a 9-over 225. Daphney Tilton (T4) and Lily Nelson (TT4) filled out the events’s Top-5 and the Reddie five-bag with a pair of 11-over 227s.

Emmie Eriksson, playing in her first tournament since joining the Reddie program, finished in a tie for 13th playing as an individual with a 26-over 242.

No. 2 Henderson St. will head to the Sooner State next week for its final event of the 2022 fall season when it partakes in the Tulsa Cup hosted by region-rival Rogers State Oct. 24-25.