The Kent State women's golf team is unstoppable in the Mid-American Conference. In what many considered to be an off year for the Golden Flashes, the team stormed back and won their sixth consecutive MAC Championship with a team score of 902.
The eighteen stroke margin between Kent State and Western Michigan (920) was the smallest ever between champion and runner-up. Ohio finished in third place with a score of 942, Toledo was fourth (950) and Marshall rounded out the top five with 968.
Sara Ann Palmer, who was low for the Bobcats in each of the three rounds, finished in a tie for eighth at 231 (76-80-75). The other four Ohio golfers stayed in the top 25. Julie Tomlinson shot 77-80-78 - 235 for a tie at 11th, Ana Brown finished at 79-82-78 - 239 for a tie at 16th, Cari Mozingo shot 81-80-80 - 241 and tied for 19th and Meredith Waterston finished in 22nd with 81-78-83 - 242.
Ohio was in third after the first day and was anchored on Palmer's 76 but could not keep the momentum going the second day when the Bobcats fell to fourth. While all the other teams made their moves and went low on day two, Ohio faltered, shooting the highest score of the weekend (318) among the top four teams.
We played well the first day and were only seven shots from Kent
so we felt good about that Ohio graduate assistant Jeff Hetler said. (Saturday) all of us had a bad day - we didn't play well at all - but we still shot 318 which is respectable. We just thought we were better than that.
The MAC has known only Kent State as women's golf champion since 1999, and the school has had a string of individual medalist champions, including Gabby Wedding, who won her first title yesterday with a 1-under 215. She was the only player under par at the 5,977-yard par 72 Walden Ponds Golf Course and fired a tournament low 69 on Saturday.
Wedding and teammates Becky Wood and Martina Gillen finished in the top four individually. All three were named to the All-MAC first team along with Western Michigan's Stephanie Donkin and Toledo's Sara Boogaard. Mozingo made All-MAC second team for the second consecutive year.
All-MAC selections are based on season statistics as well as finishes in the MAC Championship. Coaches look at head-to-head match-ups and season averages to determine their selections.
I thought Julie and Sara Ann should have both been on second team
but the coaches vote
so you can't control that
he said.
Western Michigan coach Cindy Trout was named Coach of the Year and Boogaard was named Sportswoman of the Year.
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Laurie Duffy
