2004 WIAC Women�s Golf Championships Preview

For the first time since 1999, UW-Stevens Point will host the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women�s Golf Championship on October 9-10.  All seven league teams will gather at Stevens Point Country Club for the ninth edition of the conference meet.

UW-Oshkosh became the first school in league history to win back-to-back titles last year and will look for a third straight conference crown this weekend.  The Titans also won the league championship in 2000.  UW-Oshkosh has posted third-place team finishes this season at the Knox (Ill.) Invitational and UW-Whitewater Invitational, while finishing fifth at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational.

UW-Oshkosh returns sophomore Jennifer Young, who finished second last season at last year�s league championship and has finished second at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational, while posting a third-place finish at the UW-Whitewater Invitational.  Junior Cheryl Treadwell placed third a season ago after claiming medalist honors in 2002.  She has secured third-place finishes at the Carthage Invitational and UW-Oshkosh Invitational this year.

UW-Eau Claire has secured conference championships in 2001 and 1998 and has never finished lower than second at the league meet.  The Blugolds claimed the team title at the UW-Whitewater Invitational and UW-Oshkosh Invitational the past two weekends.

UW-Eau Claire sophomore Jessica Thompson captured medalist honors at the Carthage Invitational and UW-Whitewater Invitational earlier this fall.  Junior Maggie Loney tied for fourth at the league meet a season ago and claimed top honors at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational, Knox Invitational and UW-Whitewater Invitational.

UW-Platteville posted the best finish in school history last year with a third-place standing.  Senior Linda Engelke tied for fourth at last year�s championship and has secured a third-place finish at the Clarke (Iowa) Invitational and a fourth-place standing at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational.  Junior Ahna Hendrickson tied for seventh a year ago and posted a second-place finish at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational.

UW-River Falls is in the third season in program history and will look to improve on back-to-back sixth place finishes.  The Falcons are led by senior Ellen Berndt, who placed second at the Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) Invitational and tied for fifth at the Carthage Invitational.

UW-Stevens Point won the conference title in 1997 and finished fourth last season.  The Pointers are led by sophomore Susie Lewis who placed third at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational and eighth at the Knox Invitational and Monmouth (Ill.) Invitational.

UW-Whitewater is coming off a fifth-place standing from a year ago.  The Warhawks won the inaugural league championship in 1996 and also claimed a title in 1999.  This season, the UW-Whitewater is led by sophomore Kendall Egnarski and junior Katy Brandau.  Both individuals posted a team-best 81 at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational earlier this fall.

UW-Superior has participated in limited contests this fall and will look to progress from last year�s seventh-place standing at the conference meet.

Competition for the 36-hole league championship event will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, while the first group is scheduled to tee off at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.