Ashlyn Voyles’ Record Round Highlights Red Devils’ First Week

LINCOLN, Ill. – The Eureka women's and men's golf team wrapped up a busy first week of the 2023-24 season with the Lincoln Greens Challenge on Monday.

In less than six days, the teams competed in three meets each.

On the women's side, the Red Devils picked up a team win – and saw sophomore Ashlyn Voyles shoot a school-record score of 82.

"What an exciting moment for the Eureka College women's golf program," EC golf coach Chip Wilde said. "So happy and proud of Ashlyn for setting the school record -- what a great accomplishment for her. 

"I am also proud of the women that have been dedicated to improving our program in the past few years. It has taken a lot of dedicated women to get the program off the ground, and to reach the point where we can have exciting moments like this. I'm looking forward to watching both teams to continue to improve."

The season officially started last Monday with a victory in the Blackburn Challenge. Eureka shot 437 to Fontbonne's 481 and Westminster's 531.

Voyles took runner-up with a score of 92, finishing 13 strokes behind medalist Alexis Moore of Fontbonne.

Freshman Gabby Penberthy and senior KayLee Hohlbauch came in sixth and seventh with scores of 104 and 111, respectively, and junior Sofie Bressner rounded out the team with a ninth-place finish and a score of 130.

The next day, Voyles led the way with her historic round at the Illinois College Classic in Jacksonville.

She finished three shots ahead of Illinois College runners-up Alyvia and Kate Burr. Hohlbuach (100), Penberthy (104) and Bressner (120) took seventh-through-ninth place, and all three either matched or lowered their score from the day before. Illinois College got the edge in the team contest, however, winning 383-406.

Then, on Monday, Eureka took on a field that included golfers from Monmouth and Blackburn. Monmouth won the team race, 94-137. Voyles was the runner-up, shooting 87 to medalist Amanda Stevens of Monmouth's 84.

Penberthy placed fourth with a season-low 93, and Hohlbauch and Bressner came in 10th and 12th with scores of 114 and 131.

On the men's side, Tyler Platz was the Red Devils' leader at Alton on Tuesday, tying for sixth with a team-low 90. Carson Wiese (96), Brady Rieger (99) and Jalen Johnson (108) were the other three scorers.

Westminster won the meet with a team score of 341. Blackburn was 10 shots back at 351 and Eureka finished at 393.

The next day, Platz improved from 90 to 89 to lead EC again. He finished 11th, while Wiese (97), Johnson (100) and Rieger (101) followed. Illinois College won its home meet with a score of 314 to Blackburn's 338 and Eureka's 387.

On Monday, the Red Devil men recorded a season-low score of 361 in Lincoln. Platz recorded a team-low and season-low score of 78 to place third overall. Wiese was next with a season-low 87, Rieger posted a season-low 92 and Johnson rounded out the team's scores at 104.

The Eureka men and women will both be in action again on Sunday, Sept. 24, when they host Fontbonne at Kaufman Park Golf Course.