The Gustavus women’s golf team placed three individuals in the top 10, but could not overcome the play of St. Thomas’ Holly Noble, who ran away with medalist honors while leading the Tommies to their sixth consecutive league crown Monday at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids. St. Thomas finished with a 54-hole team total of 340-319-316–975, while Gustavus totaled 343-337-331–1011 during three rounds of play to finish second to the Tommies for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
Noble shot a 9-over-par 228, outdistancing teammate Laura Klatt and Macalester’s Jordan Matheson by 17 strokes. With rounds of 76, 75, and 77, Noble fired the three low rounds of the tournament. First-year Kali Griggs (Burnsville, Minn.) was the highest placed Gustie, finishing fourth with a 54-hole total of 249 after a final-round 81. Rachel Roberg (Jr., Rice Lake, Wis.) finished one stroke back of Griggs in a four-way tie for fifth at 250. Roberg fired a final-round 83 on Monday. Kimbra Kosak (So., Grand Rapids, Minn.) finished tied for tenth with a 88-82-83–253 total. Griggs, Roberg, and Kosak each picked up All-MIAC honors by finishing in the top 10.
Breanne Staples (Sr., Windom, Minn.) and Lauren Runsvold (So., Fargo, N.D.) each posted their best rounds of the tournament on Monday. Staples finished 16th with a 86-89-85–260 total, while Runsvold finished 20th with a 92-91-84 total.
With this weekend’s win, St. Thomas earns an automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships next May. Gustavus, which finished ahead of the Tommies in four of six tournaments this fall, will look to secure an at-large bid in the spring.