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Daytona Beach, FL - From the opening drive to the final putt, Sacred Heart remained atop the team leaderboard.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Pioneers were crowned the Northeast Conference (NEC) women’s wolf champion for the second straight year at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, FL.

With a target on their back since round one, the Pioneers remained composed and finished with the top two individual golfers to bring the trophy back to Fairfield for the third time in program annals.

With a three-round total of 895, Sacred Heart became the third school to crack 900 strokes in the history of the championship, posting the second-lowest 54-hole score behind its own record of 888 set back in 2017.

First year NEC associate member Delaware State (905) finished ten strokes back and Howard took third (907).

Staying consistent and composed throughout the meet, SHU junior Chantal El Chaib (Abu Dhabi, UAE/The British School) took the individual title after a carding 1-under 215 (72-71-72) at LPGA International. In the final round on Tuesday, El Chaib fired an even-par 72. The 2022 NEC Rookie of the Year, who finished sixth at last year's event, tied the second lowest 54-hole score in NEC championship history and best since LIU’s Marisol Doglioli, who set the record with a 6-under 210 in 2014. El Chaib joined Doglioli and LIU’s Christina Felip (1-under 215 in 2012) as the only two women's golfers to shoot under par at the event.

SHU senior Kailee Welch (Huntington Beach, CA/Mater Dei) finished a stroke behind El Chaib to finish as the runner-up. Welch shot 1-under 71 in the final round and carded an even 216 (72-73-71) in the three-round event. Her 216 now ranks fourth on the NEC's all-time list and she has posted three top-10 finishes over her SHU career.

Ana Ferreyra-Heit rounded out the top three to help lead Delaware State to its second place showing. The graduate posted the lowest round of the tournament on Monday with a 4-under 68. In the final round she carded 1-over 73, collecting four birdies to wrap up the tournament with a 1-over 217, which is the fifth-lowest score in NEC championship history. Teammate Sydney Scraba posted a 12-over 228 to finish seventh.

Howard came on strong on the final day of the competition, shooting a 291 to top all NEC teams. The Bison finished with a total stroke count of 907 to finish just two strokes behind Delaware State. Howard had two golfers sharing fourth place after Kendall Jackson (Pearland, TX Pearland High School) and Morgan Horrell (Dallas, TX/Hebron High School) fired 10-over 226 at the meet. Jackson improved over three rounds and posted the lowest score of the day on Tuesday with a 2-under 70. It marked her second straight top-5 NEC Championship finish. Horrell shot her best round of the tournament on Tuesday as well, firing a 1-over 73.

Veronica Chen led Maryland Eastern Shore with a sixth place individual finish after shooting 11-over 227. 

Kaitlyn You (Torrance, CA/Torrance) was the top golfer for FDU and finished eighth on the individual leaderboard with a three-round score of 13-over 229.

Final Team Standings
1. Sacred Heart (895)
2. Delaware State (905)
3. Howard (907)
4. FDU (923)
5. Merrimack (945)
6. LIU (949)
7. SFU (995)
8. Wagner (1000)
9. NC Central (1015)
10. Stonehill (1051)
11. Maryland Eastern Shore (1112)

Final Individual Standings
1. Chantal El Chaib, SHU       215, -1
2. Kailee Welch, SHU             216, E
3. Ana Ferreyra-Heit, DSU     217, +1
T.4 Kendall Jackson, HOW    226, +10
T.4 Morgan Horrell, HOW       226, +10
6. Veronica Chen, UMES       227, +11
7. Sydney Scraba, DSU         228, +12
8. Kaitlyn You, FDU                229, +13
9. Amber Pennington, DSU   230, +14
    Kyra Cox, HOW                 230, +14
    Anete Liis Adul, FDU         230, +14