Cypress Point member wins VSGA Women’s Mid-Am crown
Jessica Spicer, a member at Virginia Beach’s Cypress Point Country Club, gained a prestigious Virginia State Golf Association title by winning the inaugural Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship this week.
The VSGA definies women’s “mid-amateurs” as players who are at least 22 years old and no longer are on a college roster. Spicer, who grew up in Bahama, North Carolina, near Durham, was the 2019 Virginia Tech Female Athlete of the Year — an award encompassing all sports — and a state All-Academic selection by the Virginia Sports Information Directors.
Spicer earned her title in Fairfax by shooting a pair of 71s for a 2-under-par 142, winning by three strokes over former Virginia Cavalier Lauren Greenlief, a member at the host venue, International Country Club.
Spicer, one of three medalists at last month’s U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, went ahead by five strokes early on the second day. She withstood Greenlief ’s back-nine charge.
“I was still having a little trouble figuring out the greens,” Spicer said in a vsga.org interview. “I started out just keeping it simple, you know, fairways and greens. It got a little more interesting on the back nine. I did a really good job of mentally just staying together, sticking to my plan and trusting it. I made some really good grinding pars on the back nine. It looked really easy on the scorecard, but it was a little more interesting than that.”
Military appreciation: Meanwhile, the VSGA hosted its Military Appreciation Day on Thursday on the Eaglewood course at Langley Air Force Base. Ninety players participated in the event.
Proceeds helped fund the VSGA’s Military Scholarship, which will be awarded for the first time in the spring of 2024 at VSGA Scholarship Day. Given the heavy military presence in Hampton Roads, an area player well could be its recipient.
Volleyball weapon: As more volleyball teams sprout up at colleges, some young area players can capitalize on the opportunity.
One of those is redshirt freshman Ryan Nored, from Chesapeake, who was named NCAA Division II Chowan University’s Female Athlete of the Week in any sport. She led the Hawks with 57 kills last week.
Nored began the week with 22 kills in an upset of Mount Olive. The 22 kills ranked third all-time in program history.
Nored, a former Great Bridge High standout, concluded the week with 19 kills against Converse and 16 kills against Belmont Abbey to average 19 per match. She’s trying to help the Hawks (4-18, 3-9 Conference Carolinas) improve as they reach the season’s waning stages.