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Women's Golf Claims MVC-Record Ninth Championship
April 15, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. - The Illinois State women's golf team earned its first State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship since 2005, and ninth overall, giving ISU more conference titles than any other school in the MVC. The Redbirds used a thorough team effort to place each of their six competitors in the top-25, including four players in the top-11. Illinois State posted a three-round-team-total of 941 (311, 305, 325) at the Oak Hills Country Club, on their way to outlasting defending champion Southern Illinois by 11 strokes. First year head coach Darby Sligh was impressed with the toughness and resolve of her young team. "The reason we won today was because of the way we were able to hold it together under some tough conditions," Sligh noted. "As young as our team is, this is great not only for our program, but for these players. Southern Illinois battled shot-for-shot with us all day, but everyone stepped up and I am very proud of the way we finished." ISU was led individually by redshirt sophomore and MVC Player and Newcomer of the Year candidate Marisa Milligan, who posted a three-round-total of 239 (77, 80, 82), on her way to a seventh-place tie. Junior Tiffany Hockensmith (77, 72, 91) and sophomore Laura Harris (83, 77, 80) tied for ninth after tallying three-round-totals of 240. Sophomore Stacey Miller (81, 79, 81) rounded out the team scoring, tying for 11th-place with a three-round-total of 241. Junior Marci Hill (80, 77, 85) and sophomore Britt Knutson (77, 87, 82) also finished in the top-25 as Hill tied for 15th with a three-round-total of 242 and Miller finished in a 22nd-place tie after recording a three-round-total of 246.
"At the beginning of the year, our goal was to take a lead into the final round of a tournament and pull it out," said Sligh. "To have our girls respond the way they did and to get a great effort out of the entire team, I just cannot say enough about what it means to our players to finally do it." Individual-medalist honors were claimed by Olivia Lansing of Drake, who carded a three-round-total of 227 (77, 73, 77) to finish three strokes ahead of second-place Molly Schemm (76, 76, 78) of Northern Iowa. Illinois State now sets its sights on the NCAA Regional. The Redbirds will compete in either the Central or the East Regional, which will be held May 8-10. Tournament pairings will be released at a later date. |
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