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RIPON, Wis. – Carroll is in search of its fifth straight championship but a strong field of four other teams look to unseat the defending champions at the 2013 Midwest Conference Women’s Golf Championship that begins on Friday morning. The three day event, hosted by St. Norbert College, will take place at Aldeen Golf Club in Rockford, Ill.
The championship field will be wide open as the top three golfers from a season ago graduated and only five of the top-10 golfers return for 2013.The Grinnell duo of Alex Plemmons and Stephanie Spahr finished fourth and fifth a season ago and are the top returning performers from 2012. Plemmons won a scorecard playoff against Spahr to finish in fourth as both shot a championship total of 177. Hailey Speck is also back for Grinnell after an eight place finish a year ago as she shot a 179 to form a strong trio of golfers for the Pioneers. Alexis Lintker finished sixth in 2012 with a score of 178 for Illinois Col. while Ripon’s Abby Fish was 10th shooting a 180 to round out the returning field.
The team champion of the three day tournament will earn the MWC automatic berth to the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, which will be played in the spring (May 13-16) at the Mission Inn and in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
Carroll enters the weekend looking to continue its dominance as they have captured a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the last four seasons. A year ago the Pioneers won a weather shortened championship by 10 strokes over Grinnell with a 36-hole score of 692. The Pioneers have a retooled roster in 2013 having to replace its top three golfers including 2012 MWC Individual Champion Morgan Zuleger. During the fall season Carroll participated in 9.5 rounds and averaged 377.3 shots per round. Ashley Alfaro leads the Pioneers on the course with an average round of 90.9 shots and has a low round of 88 in the second round of the UW-Stevens Point Mad Dawg Invitational September 28-29 where she finished 23rd out of 60 golfers. Kyleigh Dallner has a season average of 92.9 shots per round with a team-low round of 87 with teammate Taryn Kluess averaging 95.7 shots per round in 7.5 rounds.
Grinnell is golfing for its first league championship in school history and looks to take the next step after a pair of runner-up finishes over the past three seasons. Last year the Pioneers finished 10 shots off the championship pace and return three of its top four golfers from a year ago. Kayleigh Kresse enters the tournament ranking third in the MWC with an 86.1 shot per round average that includes a top-10 finish at the Central Fall Invitational on September 6-7. Alex Plemmons finished fourth at the 2012 MWC Championship and is fourth in the league in scoring average (87.1) and posted a top-10 finish at the Central Fall Invitational. Both Kresse and Plemmons have shot a round of 79 which ties them for the second best round in the league this season. Hailey Speck rounds out a strong trio of golfers as she averages 89.6 shots per round which ranks ninth in the league.
Illinois Col. aims to get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing the cut in the last four seasons. The Lady Blues had their six year championship streak snapped in 2009 and has finished in the top three only once since then. Last season Illinois Col. finished fourth among the six team field but return their top golfer from a year ago, Alexis Lintker. Last season Lintker finished sixth at the championship and during the fall held an average score of 87.9 which is fifth-best in the league. Mackenzie Barker is second in the league with an average of 85.9 shots per round and had a pair of top five finishes this season. Morgan Alewelt also is in the top-10 of the league with an average round of 89.1 shots including a low round of 84. The Lady Blues own the second lowest round of the season at the Augustana Fall Classic with a 341 and is third in the MWC with a 356.9 shot per round average in nine rounds.
Knox will not be eligible for a team championship but they will have a pair of golfers participating for an individual title when they travel to Rockford. Sarah Martin averages just under 103 shots per round in six events and shot a season-best 97 at the Fighting Scot Invitational on September 7. Lizzy Rodgers will join Martin as she averages 107.5 shots per round which is highlighted by a season-low round of 98 at the Fighting Scot Invitational.
Monmouth won its only MWC Championship in 2002 and is in search of the school’s first individual champion this weekend when they travel to Aldeen. The Fighting Scots enter after leading the league with an average score of 352.8 shots that includes the second-lowest round of the fall when they shot a 341 at the Benedictine Fall Invitational on September 15. Hannah Long headlines all MWC golfers this year with a league-low average of 84.6 shots which includes four top-10 finishes and a pair of top five finishes. Long has had rounds of 80 or lower three separate times including a round of 77 at the Benedictine Fall Invitational on September 15. Megan Shultz ranks seventh in the league with an average of 89.2 shots per round while Korri Crawford (89.3) and Annie Sandrock (90.4) also rank in the top-10 in the league.
Ripon will not be eligible for a team championship but will send a pair of golfers to Rockford in search of the school’s first ever individual championship. Abby Fish has played two rounds this fall and enters the championship with an average of 89 shots per round which includes a top-10 finish in the UW-Oshkosh Invitational on September 7-8. Kristin Chramowicz took second place at the Marian Quadrangular on September 29 with an 88 and averages 93 shots per round in three rounds this season.
St. Norbert is in search of its first ever MWC Championship and its first individual champion since Andrea Liebelt in 2007. The Green Knights haven’t finished in the top three in the standings since 2007 and are coming off a fifth place finish in 2012. Kathleen Geraghty holds the team’s lowest average at 91.6 shots per round while shooting a low of 86 at the UW-Whitewater Invitational on September 21. Kelley Kletti is second on the team with a 92.8 round average and finished second overall with a round of 91 in a dual match with UW-Oshkosh on August 31. Taylor Debski has two top-10 finishes, including one top five, on the season and averages 95.1 shots per round which includes a team-low round of 85 at the Benedictine Invitational on September 15.