HICKORY, N.C. — Paced by solid performances from Harper Cherry and Lise Malherbe, the Lincoln Memorial University women’s golf team carded an opening-round, 30-over par 318 on Sunday at Lake Hickory Country Club to sit in eighth place at the South Atlantic Conference Women’s Golf Championship.

Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate have separated themselves at the top of the leaderboard as Lenoir-Rhyne is in first place at 12-over par, while Wingate is in second at 13-over par. Coker is a distant third at 22-over par, while Anderson and Carson-Newman are tied for fourth at 23-over par.

The Lady Railsplitters also have Catawba (+27) and Tusculum (+28) sitting in front of them at the end of the first of three 18-hole rounds.

Cherry recorded her low round of the season and matched the low round of her career by carding a three-over par 75 to hold a share of eighth place. Cherry’s round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 13th hole. Malherbe is just one shot back of Cherry, as the All-SAC first team selection made birdies on the sixth and 17th holes to power a four-over par 76. She is locked in a tie for 11th place.

Ella Morton produced the next-best round of the day for the Lady Railsplitters with a 10-over par 82, while Emma Morrison came in with a 13-over par 85. Morton matched Malherbe for the team-high mark with two birdies, but offset that with two double bogeys and one triple.

Morrison, meanwhile, was sitting at four-over par through 12 holes until making back-to-back triple bogeys.

Kaitlyn Sneed did not factor into the team score for the Lady Railsplitters, going without a birdie in a 16-over par 88.

Wingate’s Diana McDonald is leading the tournament following an even-par 72, while Lenoir-Rhyne’s Abbey Hartsell and Ainee O’Connor are in second and a tie for third with 73 and 74, respectively. O’Connor was one of five players to shoot 74, including Wingate’s SAC Player of the Year Warissa Puangcharoen.

The second round tee’d off on Monday morning back at Lake Hickory Country Club.

SAC Women’s Golf Championship – Round One Results

8. Lincoln Memorial – 318

T-8. Harper Cherry – 75

T-11. Lise Malherbe – 76

T-40. Ella Morton – 82

T-46. Emma Morrison – 85

T-52. Kaitlyn Sneed – 88