TOURNAMENT HOME PAGE | NCAA DIGITAL PROGRAM
This week
No. 21 Augustana will make its fifth-straight appearance at the Central Region Championship on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at the Sierra Del Rio Golf Course in Elephant Butte, N.M.
Central Region Championship
Western New Mexico will host the Central Region Championship at the Sierra Del Rio Golf Course in Elephant Butte, N.M. The tournament home page can be found
here. To take a virtual tour of the course, click
here. The field includes nine teams and four individuals from squads which did not qualify. The tournament is three rounds; the top three teams along with the top three individuals not with a team from each regional will advance to the championships.
Who's in
The final Central Region rankings conducted by the NCAA determined the teams competing in the regional tournament. Augustana, which has been ranked No. 1 all season, retained its top spot. The other eight times (in rank order) include Minnesota State, Colorado Mesa, Concordia-St. Paul, Colorado State-Pueblo, Western New Mexico, Southwest Minnesota State, Winona State and Adams State. Four individuals not from qualifying teams were also selected: St. Cloud State's Emily Kerber, Colorado Christian's Maria Manrique and Regis' Nicole Hulbert and Lara Mocs.
Regional history
The Vikings, who are the two-time defending Central Region champions, are making their fifth appearance at the regional tournament. Besides its titles in 2009-10 and 2010-11, Augustana placed third in 2008-09 and second in 2007-08. A year ago,
Allie Ostrander captured medalist honors, bettering teammate
Maggie Leland by two strokes at the Hillcrest Golf Club in St. Paul, Minn. Ostander is the only regional medalist in program history.
How to advance
Augustana needs to place in the top three as a team to advance to the NCAA Championships.
Peggy Kirby's team has made a trip to nationals the past four seasons. In fact, Kirby is the only head coach in women's golf history at Augustana to guide a team to the national tournament. The Vikings' best finish at the NCAA Championships was eighth in 2007-08.
Conference champs…again
Augustana secured its third-straight NSIC Conference title on April 22 at the Dacotah Ridge Golf Course in Morton, Minn. The Vikings fired a final-round score of 313 to win the three-round conference tournament with a 926. Augustana entered the final round of the tournament, which kicked off with 36 holes this past fall, with a 40-stroke lead. The Vikings extended it to 54 strokes by the end of Sunday, bettering Concordia-St. Paul's 980. The third round was canceled due to severe weather. It was the fourth overall conference championship for the Vikings, who also won the North Central Conference in 2008-08.
Medalist Maggie
Maggie Leland became the fourth conference medalist in program history at the NSIC Championship. Leland won the tournament by five strokes, coming in at 7-over-par 222 after shooting a 3-over 74 in the final round. Teammate
Emily Kvidera won the NSIC in 2009-10, while Carley Roach and Courtney Belanger won the North Central Conference in 2005-06 and 2006-07, respectively.
All-Tournament Team
Maggie Leland,
Allie Ostrander and
Emily Kvidera all earned NSIC All-Tournament Team honors by way of at least a fifth-place finish at the conference tournament. Besdies Leland's medalist performance, Ostrander finished second with a 12-over-par 227, and Kvidera took third after carding a 19-over 234. Ostrander and Kvidera both turned in 79s in the last round.
Conference titles galore
Augustana has now won four NSIC titles in 2011-12, getting other championships from women's cross country, men's cross country and women's tennis. The Vikings' NSIC championship total now sits at 18. Augustana has won a total of 60 conference titles among the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference, North Central Conference and NSIC.
Still on top
Maggie Leland still leads Division II in stroke average at 74.35. She is narrowly ahead of Grand Valley State's Sara Hoffman, who has average of 74.41. Leland also leads the NSIC in stroke average by nearly four. Teammate
Emily Kvidera is second in the league at 78.0.
More NSIC honors
Emily Kvidera was named the conference's golfer of the week on Wednesday after winning the Augustana Spring Invitational. Augustana has had seven NSIC Golfers of the Week in 2011-12.
Nationally ranked
Augustana is ranked 21st in the latest National Golf Coaches Association national poll. Nova Southeastern received seven first-place votes and 342 points to retain its top spot.
|
Rk |
School |
Pts. |
PR |
|
1. |
Nova Southeastern (7) |
342 |
1 |
|
2. |
Florida Southern (1) |
336 |
2 |
|
3. |
St. Edward's (1) |
312 |
3 |
|
4. |
Grand Canyon (1) |
301 |
7 |
|
5. |
Tarleton State |
295 |
5 |
|
6. |
Barry |
255 |
6 |
|
7. |
Lynn |
238 |
4 |
|
8. |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
213 |
24 |
|
9. |
Saint Leo |
209 |
9 |
|
10. |
Newberry |
176 |
13 |
|
11. |
Sonoma State |
173 |
21 |
|
12 |
Grand Valley State |
170 |
11 |
|
13. |
Midwestern State |
166 |
12 |
|
T14. |
Northeastern State |
165 |
8 |
|
T14. |
North Carolina-Pembroke |
165 |
10 |
|
16. |
Central Oklahoma |
143 |
14 |
|
17. |
Indianapolis |
124 |
16 |
|
18. |
California (Pa.) |
110 |
15 |
|
19. |
Carson-Newman |
80 |
19 |
|
20. |
Drury |
77 |
20 |
|
21. |
Augustana |
74 |
18 |
|
22. |
Western Washington |
71 |
17 |
|
23. |
West Texas A&M |
53 |
22 |
|
24. |
Tusculum |
49 |
23 |
|
T25. |
Academy of Art |
26 |
25 |
|
T25. |
Flagler |
26 |
NR |
|
T25 |
Hawaii-Hilo |
26 |
NR |
We're back
Six golfers return from Augustana's 2010-11 squad. All-NSIC picks
Emily Kvidera and
Maggie Leland are part of the incumbent group, while Central Region medalist
Allie Ostrander is also back. Other returners include
Molly Leland,
Jennifer Benoy and
Kelsey Bortnem.
A look back
Augustana won seven tournament titles in 2010-11, including the NSIC Championship and Central Region Championship. The Vikings were ninth-place finishers at the NCAA Championship.
Coaches corner
Peggy Kirby enters her ninth season as the leader of Augustana women's golf. A three-time conference coach of the year, Kirby has coached three conference medalists and four All-America selections. She is assisted by longtime friend
Patty Coddington.
Up next
The 2012 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships will be held May 16-19 at Persimmon Ridge Golf Course in Louisville, Ky.
