Coon Rapids, Minn. – After three exciting days of golf at the 2012 MIAC Championships held over the weekend at Bunker Hills Golf Course, a champion has been crowned. St. Olaf College, who surged to the lead in day two, stayed the course on Monday afternoon with a 322 to win the championship with a three-day team-total 966 (+102).
The Gustavus women’s golf finished its 2012 fall season with a 330 on the final day, concluding the tournament with a 985 (+113) – 19 shots behind champion St. Olaf and eight shots behind second place Carleton who shot a 977 (+113) over the weekend. Gustavus was in the lead after the opening round following a 325. The Gusties carded a 330 on the second day to drop to third place and couldn’t make up the difference on Monday.
“I was proud of the way the gals came out today. We got off to a great start,” said Head Coach Scott Moe. “Unfortunately, we hit some bumps and a few rough patches along the way, but that’s golf. It was great to see us have three All-Conference players in Kayleigh, Sam and Liz. They were solid all tournament long.”
By virtue of a finish inside the top 10, three Gustavus golfers earned All-Conference marks this year. With an 82 (+10) on the final day of competition, senior Kayleigh Dittes (Eden Prairie, Minn.) finished the tournament with a three-day total 241 (+25) for a sixth place standing. Dittes shot a 79 (+7) on day one and an 80 (+8) on day two to garner All-Conference honors for the first time since 2010 when she finished ninth overall. The senior captain dropped her fall average down to a team-best 79.8 with her performance this weekend.
After shooting an 86 (+14) on day two and dropping from second to ninth place, sophomore Sam Falk (Glenwood, Minn.) turned things around with a team-best 78 (+6) this afternoon. Falk earns All-MIAC marks for the second time in her young career after placing seventh with a 242 (+26).
Sophomore Liz Strom (Fargo, N.D.) rounded out Gustavus’ big three with a 10th place finish after shooting an 87 (+15) on the final day. Strom had shot alongside Dittes over the course of the first two days with a 79 (+7) on day one and an 80 (+8) on day two. With a 246 (+30) over the weekend, Strom takes home the first All-Conference honor of her career.
Rounding out coach Moe’s squad was Olivia Tusa (Fy., Hermantown, Minn.) in 25th with a three-day 261 (+45) and Holly Karkela (So., Perham, Minn.) in 27th with a 263 (+47). After firing a team-high 93 on the first day, Tusa displayed steady improvement with an 85 (+13) on day two and an 83 (+11) on day three.
The 2012 individual medalist crown went to St. Olaf’s Molly Erickson after she fired a 235 (+19) over the weekend. Carleton’s Kelsey Moede finished a shot behind Erickson with a 236 (+20), while St. Thomas’ Doyle O’Brien rounded out the podium in third with a 238 (+22).
With a third place finish this season, the Gustavus women’s golf team has now recorded a top three finish at the MIAC Championships for 17 straight seasons.