WINTERGREEN, Va. - The ODAC Championship saw three days of perfect golf weather at Stoney Creek Golf Club and play concluded on Wednesday with the Bridgewater College women's team finishing in sixth place. The Eagles were disappointed with their results, but they still sent off a pair of seniors in good style and brought home several ODAC awards.
 
Sophia Martone wrapped up a stellar career by claiming a stake among the conference elite after a rough first round in the Championship. She followed a second-round 73 with a solid 75 today that moved her into 7th place. The highlight of her final round was hitting a blistering 6-iron into the par-5 ninth hole and dropping the eagle putt, then chasing it with a birdie on No. 10. 
 
When Martone made her senior walk up the final fairway, accompanied by her parents, her day was not done, though. Coming off a regular season that produced three medals and resulted in the lowest scoring average in the conference (76.1), she was recognized after the round as an All-ODAC First Team player. The standout from Raleigh was All-Conference every year of her career, but this was the first time making the top squad.
 
"We have always been fortunate to have high-level players on this team," said head coach John Rogers, "and Sophia definitely took the baton from those before her and ran with it. We have been lucky to have her leadership and the example she provides of the competitive spirit. She worked very hard to achieve the things she did, and overcame some challenges during her college days. She can be proud of this career, as can Bridgewater College."
 
Martone was also a finalist for conference Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
Senior Evelyn Hunter also made her senior walk on the 18th hole today. She acknowledged that, at times during her career, golf was more important to her as a family connection than as a college sport, but she still stepped up when the Eagles needed her in the starting lineup. She improved every year at Bridgewater, dropping her scoring average by nine strokes from a first-year average of 96, to an 87 this season. This week she went 82-92-92 (266) to finish 25th in the championship. She walked the final fairway with her grandfather, father, and niece today. "Evelyn has brought a bright spark of personality to the team," said Rogers, "but she also produced some much-needed results as time went on, especially this year. She made us better in many ways."
 
Sophomore Hannah Rizzo was frustrated with her week at Wintergreen, but she still emerged this season as a force in the conference. In the fall she tied for medalist in one event (losing in a playoff), and then broke through with an impressive win to open the spring portion of the season. Her regular season performance earned her a place on the All-ODAC Second Team, announced after the round today. Rogers lauded her "coachability" and said he expects to see even better things as her career moves forward. Today Rizzo shot 84, marred only by a quadruple bogey on the 17th hole, and she finished 23rd in the championship. She was also named to the All-ODAC Sportsmanship Team.
 
Brooke Tyler capped off her inaugural collegiate season with scores of 92-85-95 (272) to place 30th. Tyler was a fixture in the starting lineup this season for the Eagles and she posted scores as low as 76.
 
Junior Emily Price, like most of the Eagles, was not thrilled with her results this week. She posted 94-95-98 (287) to place 32nd. Rogers said this championship did not reflect her abilities, and was thankful for her continued contributions to the team.
 
Martone ended up making quite a mark on the Bridgewater record books. She finishes her career second in career scoring (78), second in career rounds (81), second in medals (6), and this year was the fourth best season average in program history (76.2). She also had the lowest score in team history (68), which she shot three times. 
 
The Eagles took home one more award today -- Rogers, who finished his 13-year tenure with the women's program today, was honored by the ODAC as the Coach of the Year. The Eagles finished the regular season with five finishes in the top-3 (in eight events), and they also had four medalists. This was the 5th time Rogers earned Coach of the Year.
 
Stepping away from college coaching, Rogers concludes his career as the last of the founding head coaches on the women's side of the conference. Some highlights from his career include coaching the Eagles to 32 tournament and match victories, as well as 25 runner-up finishes, numbers that would hold up across the nation. In 111 tournaments his teams finished in the top-3 almost 60% of the time, an unparalleled number in the ODAC. The Eagles were the last team to beat the dominant W&L Generals in the ODAC Championship, doing it in 2016 and 2017. In eleven ODAC Championships, the Eagles only finished outside the top-3 twice. In 2017 Rogers coached Christina Herbert, who was the NCAA national champion and national Player of the Year.
 
"I'm amazed to look back and think that I have spent almost a quarter of my life taking a fledgling golf program and pouring myself into the process of trying to build something the college and community could be proud of," noted Rogers. "We have had some success and have won tournaments and awards in a way I could not have imagined, but in the end what I take away is the awareness that I have been blessed by these amazing young women over the years. Even today, I had a great team, and four alumni there to cheer us on. These Eagles have enriched my life, and allowed me to develop relationships that transcend any stats or accolades. It's a hard thing to walk away, but I'm thankful for everything I leave with, including a huge stash of amazing memories."
 
The Eagles will return to action as they open the 2025-2026 season in September.