|
|
|
|||||
|
|
All Four Teams in Contention for Title at WIAC Women’s Golf Championships If there’s one word that describes the field for the 1999 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s golf championships, it’s parity. The four teams competing in this year’s event, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater, have all beaten each other at one point during this year’s one-month regular season. The teams’ season averages are within less than 13 strokes of each other as well. History of the tournament proves its parity with three different winners in the three previous years of the event. Only UW-Oshkosh has yet to claim a title with UW-Whitewater winning the first championship, UW-Stevens Point winning in 1997 and UW-Eau Claire capturing last year’s trophy. The fourth annual championships are set for Friday-Saturday, October 1-2 at the Stevens Point Country Club. Friday’s action begins at 1 p.m., while Saturday’s action tees off at 10:30 a.m. The defending champion Blugolds bring this season’s best average into event at 345.7. UW-Stevens Point has the highest average at 358.0, but closes the gap with perhaps the biggest intangible factor playing on its home course. The Pointers are 4-0 at home this season and defeated each of the other three schools in dual meets. The Pointers are also the hottest team in the tournament after beating UW-Eau Claire Friday and placing second at last weekend’s UW-Oshkosh Invitational. Kathryn Carlson brings a team-best 87.9 season average into the tournament, while freshman Rachel Sime has an 89.8 average. UW-Eau Claire has experienced the most success this season, winning the team title at the UW-Whitewater Invite, placing second at its own invitational and finishing third at Illinois Wesleyan. However, the Blugolds dropped to fifth at UW-Oshkosh last week. Kelly Harper, who shot a WIAC record 165 to take medalist honors last season, is the Blugolds’ top player with an 83.4 average. Cortney Sletten has an 85.7 average and Katie Hommen has an 87.0 average. UW-Oshkosh finished just six strokes behind UW-Eau Claire at last year’s meet and returns Cindy Treadwell, who placed second at last year’s meet, but has the team’s fourth-best average this season at 90.7. Markka Farrington leads the Titans with an 84.7 average, while Jamie McAlister has an 87.7 average and Selena Jacobson has averaged 90.1. UW-Whitewater was fourth at last year’s tournament, but the Warhawks may contend for the title this season with two players who finished in the conference’s top 10 with other schools last season. Nicole Toeppe was third last year with UW-Oshkosh and has an 87.2 average, while Christy Huegerich was ninth with UW-Stevens Point last season and is averaging 84.6 this season. UW-Platteville and UW-Superior have individuals competing to make the tournament a six-team event for the first time. UW-Platteville freshman Krista Puttkammer will contend for a top finish with an 87.0 average and six of seven rounds in the 80’s this season. Tina Olson is the Yellowjackets’ top golfer with a 124.3 average. |
WIAC Championship Preview