By Glen Miller/Staff Writer

The Redlands Community College reign as national champions came to an end Thursday on the same course it began a year earlier — despite a last-ditch effort by the Cougars to retain the crown.

McLennan College in Waco, Texas, fueled by individual champion Ida Svenningsson, edged out the Cougars by eight strokes to win the 2007 National Junior College Athletic Association Women’s National Championship. It was the second straight year for a team west of the Mississippi to win the title. Prior to Redlands winning the title in 2006, Florida-based Daytona Beach Community College had reigned for three seasons as national champions.

Ironically, this year’s 72-hole championship was a battle between those three teams — the only schools to break the 1,300-stroke barrier on the par 72, 6,162-yard LPGA Inter-national Course. McLennan took the lead after day one with a 308, followed by a 319 by Redlands and a 331 by Daytona Beach. Lon Morris, another Texas school, was fourth at 338.

Redlands made a charge on day two, shooting the lowest team score of the round with a 309. Grace Jeong led the Cougars effort with a four-over 76, followed by Woori Shin’s five-over 77. Brianna Vargas and Abby Allford each carded a 78.

The effort made up five strokes on McLennan, who shot a 314 to post a 622 team score at the tournament’s halfway point. Redlands was in second place with a 628, followed by Daytona Beach (645) and Lon Morris (673).

The roles would be reversed for the third round as Redlands struggled to a 314 and McLennan would card the lowest team score of the tournament’s four rounds with a 301. That gave the Highlanders a 19 stroke lead over Redlands going into the final 18 holes.

However, the Cougars have shown a strong final-round push all season long and delivered again at nationals. Redlands fired the tourney’s second lowest score with a 302, with Shin carding a 1-under 71 to pace the comeback. Jeong was close behind with a 74, while Vargas added a 78 and Andrea Rojas and Allford each shooting 79.

McLennan had only two rounds in the 70s, with Svenningsson 74 being the lowest. However, the Highlanders were able to get two scores in the low 80s and finished with a 313 to hold off Redlands.

McLennan ended the tournament 84 shots over par with a 1,236 total, while Redlands had a 1,244 – 92 strokes over par. The LPGA International Course showed its teeth during the four days, with the average team score being a 345 and the average individual score per round at 90.

Daytona Beach, last year’s national runner-up to Redlands, finished third with a 1,253 – 101 shots over par. Lon Morris was fourth at 1,303.

Redlands was led by Jeong with a 72-hole tally of 301, which earned her national runner-up honors to Svenningsson – who carded a 299. Shin ended up third for the Cougars with a 304 effort.

Allford placed 17th in the individual medalist race with a 323, followed by Rojas in 21st (326), Vargas 23rd (330) and Ericka Sharkey in 37th with a 352 effort.