Womens Golf In Search of Eighth Straight MAC Title
4/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
KENT, Ohio The Kent State womens golf team looks to defend its seven-straight Mid-American Conference championships this weekend (April 28-30) at the 2006 MAC Championships. The Golden Flashes will try to make it 8-for-8 at the MAC tournament, which was started in 1999, and claim an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championships.
Coming Up: April 28-30 at MAC Championships (36 holes Friday, 18 holes Saturday, 18 holes Sunday)
Recent Result: Fourth of 15 teams at Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational
Top Kent State Finisher: Kira Meixner, T-7th, 72-77-70219 (+3)
SCOUTING THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: An automatic bid to the NCAA Regional is on the line as Kent State and seven other MAC programs tee it up at the 2006 MAC Championships at Walden Ponds Golf Club in Indian Springs, Ohio. The Golden Flashes are looking for their eighth straight conference championship, having won each of the titles seven straight since the sports inception at the conference level in 1999. This years tournament is scheduled for 72 holes for the first time, with 36 holes on Friday and 18 on Saturday and Sunday. Kent State claimed last years title in a weather-shortened tournament by 13 shots, the narrowest winning margin at the MAC Championships.
The course: Walden Ponds Golf Club
Location: Indian Springs, Ohio
Par/Yardage: 72/5,977 yards
Weather Outlook: Friday: partly cloudy, high 70; Saturday: chance of thunderstorms, high 62; Sunday: chance of thunderstorms, high 63
The field: Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
2005 MAC Championships team champion: Kent State, 610
2005 MAC Championships individual champion: Katie Sundberg (Ball State), 149
QUOTING COACH MORROW Eighth-year head coach Mike Morrow on the 2006 MAC Championships: "Were looking to have our golf games peak this weekend. Each year we have three goals; to win the MAC, play in the regional and have our best finish at the NCAAs. Goal one is coming up later this week."
On playing in a high-calibre tournament last week: "First, it makes for a short week of preparation for us, with just Tuesday and Wednesday to practice. But hopefully it helps us keep a sharp, competitive edge, which should set us up for a good tournament."
What winning the MAC Championship means: "We obviously would like to continue our streak of MAC championships, but the biggest reward for winning the MAC is the automatic bid to the regional."
SHORT CHIPS The Golden Flashes are using the same starting lineup of Tara Delaney, Kira Meixner, Becky Wood, Kirby Dreher and Karen Delaney for the fifth straight tournament... The Golden Flashes own a season head-to-head record of 189-18 according to Golfstat, which ranks 20th in the nation... Kent State individuals have had four top-10 finishes in the last two tournaments, with Meixner posting two of the four... The Flashes average dropped score the last two tournaments is 78.0... As a team Kent State has recorded 13 rounds of par-or-better in the last six rounds played.
QUICK MAC SHOTS: Kent State has won each of the seven MAC Womens Golf Championships... A Golden Flash linkster has won individual medalist honors at 6-of-7 MAC Championships... Head coach Mike Morrow has been named MAC Coach of the Year six times... A KSU player has garnered MAC Player of the Year honors each of the last six years... Kent States 887 total in 2001 was the lowest three-round winning total... The Golden Flashes won the title by 66 strokes in 2002... Former Golden Flashes Gabby Wedding posted the lowest individual winning 54-hole total of 215 in 2004... She also has the lowest round ever at the MAC Championships, a 69 in the second round that same year... Former Flash Martina Gillen posted the top final round score in MAC history of 70 in 2001... This is the seventh straight year Walden Ponds has hosted the MAC Championships.
LAST TIME OUT: Kent State finished fourth at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational. The Golden Flashes shot a team total of 298 in the third round, passing Michigan State on their way to fourth place and an 887 team total.
Sophomore Kira Meixner paced the Flashes finishing in a tie for seventh place for her third top-10 finish of the year. She shot a 2-under 70 in the final round to finish with rounds of 72-77-70 for a 3-over 219 total. Sophomore Tara Delaney was KSUs second finisher, placing tied for 17th overall. She shot a 1-over 73 today to finish at a 5-over total of 221 after rounds of 72-76-73.
Auburn University, the No. 5-ranked team in the nation, ran away with the tournament, finishing with an 849 total. Auburns Maria Martinez won the individual title at 69-67-71=207 (-9). The Golden Flashes posted 1-under 287 in the first round as a team, and were tied for first with Purdue, one shot ahead of Auburn.
Freshman Kirby Dreher, who was tied for 10th after two rounds, closed with a 78 to place tied for 24th. She had rounds of 73-73-78 for a 224 (8-over) total. Junior Karen Delaney tied for 35th overall. She opened with a 2-under 70 then shot 80 and 77 to finish with a 227 (11-over) total. Senior Becky Wood was tied for 50th after rounds of 76-76-78=230, while freshman Maddi Swaney tied for 70th playing as an individual, shooting 77-82-82=241.
GOLDEN FLASHES GRAB A LITTLE NATIONAL ATTENTION: It looks like Kent States victory at the Northwestern Invitational has made many in the collegiate golf world take notice. Following the Golden Flashes convincing victory, Kent State was named Golfweeks Womens Team of the Week, while sophomore Tara Delaney who was named the tournaments individual winner was the collegiate womens player of the week by Golf World magazine.
The Golden Flashes cruised to the victory at the Northwestern Invitational, played at the Gary Player Signature Course at the Westin Hills Resort, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Kent State built a commanding 17-stroke lead through the first two rounds, eventually winning by 11 shots over a field that featured eight teams ranked in the top 50 according to the Golfweek/Sagarin performance index.
Kent State won the tournament with a dominant performance in the first two rounds. As a team the Flashes shot 21-under par on day one, as KSU linksters carded seven sub-par rounds, including five rounds in the 60s. Both senior Becky Wood and sophomore Kira Meixner posted rounds in the 60s in rounds one and two.
Overall, Kent State had three players Delaney, Meixner and Wood finish under par in the tournament. Delaney and Meixner tied for the overall tournament title, but Delaney was declared the winner thanks to a lower final round score of 1-under 71 compared to Meixners 1-over 73. In addition to the Golf World honor, Delaney also was named MAC Player of the Week following the tournament.
The tournament victory was the second of the season for Kent State, which also claimed the title at the Shoot-out at the Legends in the fall.
DELANEY, WOOD, MEIXNER CLAIM FIRST TITLES: Senior Becky Wood tied for first through 54 holes, shooting 4-over 220 at the Mary Fossum Invitational in the fall, then won the individual title in a playoff for her first collegiate championship. Her previous best finish was a second at the 2004 MAC Championships. Wood won the playoff with a par on the opening playoff hole over Northwesterns Jennifer Hong. Sophomore Kira Meixner made it two-for-two for Kent State to open the fall season when she won the Shoot-out at the Legends for her first collegiate title. Meixner fired a 1-under 215 to claim the event, topping her previous best, which was a tied for sixth at the "Mo"Moral Invitational in 2005. She also tied with sophomore Tara Delaney at the Northwestern Invitational. Delaney totaled 68-70-71 in her three rounds, finishing at 7-under 209 for her first tournament title. Delaneys previous best finish came at the 2005 Lady Buckeye Invitational, where she placed tied for third.
IN THE RANKINGS: Kent State is ranked 25th in the latest NGCA Coaches Poll and 20th in the Golfweek/Sagarin performance index. The Golden Flashes also are 20th in the Golfstat head-to-head standings.
Sophomore Tara Delaney who is making a push for All-America honors is ranked 43rd in the Sagarin index. Sophomore Kira Meixner and senior Becky Wood, who also All-America candidates, are ranked 54th and 60th in the Sagarin index.
