July 14, 2008

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. - Natalie Sheary carded a one-over 217 over the weekend to finish second in the Duramed Futures Tour's CIGNA Golf Classic in Bloomfield, Conn.

The Wake Forest sophomore, playing in just her second Futures Tour event, shot 71-75-71 for the 54-hole event at the Gillette Golf Club in her home state.

Sheary finished second to Vicky Hurst, who ended the three-day tournament at seven under par. The closest amateur score to Sheary's was Stephanie Kim's (Orlando, Fla.) 13-over 229.

Because of Sheary's amateur status, the $8,000 second-place prize went to third-place finisher Song Yi Choi, who recorded a two-over 218 on the 6,401-yard course.

Sheary has now competed in two Futures Tour event, the first being last season's CIGNA Golf Classic where the Hartford-native finished tied for 19th.

Sheary led the Deacs in 2008 with a 74.2 stroke average last season, won the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, finished fifth in the ACC Championship and tied for 28th at the NCAA Championship. She became the first freshman to win an event for Wake since Marta Prieto won the ACC Championship in 1998 and was named the College Female Golfer of the Week by GolfWorld magazine following the victory.

Sheary's win at the Northrop Grumman in the first event of the spring season gave Wake Forest back-to-back individual medalists for the first time in program history. Nannette Hill won the Landfall Tradition in the last event of the fall season.

The National Golf Coaches Association selected Sheary as an All-America honorable mention making her the first Deacon freshman since Alexandra Armas in 1995 to receive such honors.

-WakeForestSports.com-