Wichita State has been picked to win the 2014 MVC Women's Golf Championship, according to a pre-championship poll of league coaches. Illinois State, champions for four consecutive years from 2008-11 and again in 2013, will be looking to defend its title.
The 54-hole tournament will be played at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill. (Bradley hosts). The team champion advances to the NCAA Regionals. The 10 teams will have practice rounds Saturday, and the tournament begins Sunday at 9:00 a.m. (CST). Teams will play 18 holes each day (Sunday-Tuesday). Fans are invited to attend free of charge.
Last year, Illinois State's three-round 333-317-327=977 edged Wichita State, which shot a three-round 980. Southern Illinois (982) and Bradley (982) tied for third place, while Missouri State, who shot a team low 313 on Monday, was right behind at 984. It marked the first time in league championship history that five teams finished within seven strokes of the title.
| No. |
Team (1st-Place Tallies)
|
Total Points |
| 1 |
Wichita State (7) |
95 |
| 2 |
Southern Illinois (2) |
91 |
| 3 |
Indiana State (1) |
69 |
| T4 |
Illinois State |
65 |
| T4 |
Missouri State |
65 |
| 6 |
UNI |
45 |
| 7 |
Bradley |
43 |
| 8 |
Evansville |
34 |
| 9 |
Loyola |
27 |
| 10 |
Drake |
16 |
Coaches provided relatively consistent results in this year's pre-championship poll. Wichita State and Southern Illinois finished within four points of each other, and both are considered to be the frontrunners to take home the title.
Indiana State, defending champion Illinois State, and Missouri State make up the next cluster on the ballot, with all three receiving points totals in the sixties.
Wichita State will look to rekindle a consistent trend in recent Valley history in which the pre-championship favorite has won the title. From 2003-10 (Bradley beat Illinois State in 2003 on the first hole of a sudden death playoff), seven-straight teams picked to win the MVC Women's Championship ended up claiming the championship. 2011 and 2013 broke the pattern, but a total of nine of the last 11 pre-championship favorites have won the title.
Bradley's Danielle Lemek led the MVC in stroke average during the regular season, clocking in at 73.96 through 25 rounds, with two wins. She has the potential to eclipse the all-time Valley record for single-season scoring average with a stellar performance at the MVC Championship. Cassie Rushing of Southern Illinois is next, finishing the year with a 76.61 stroke average, through 31 rounds. Kayla Katterhenry of Evansville, Marissa Uradomo of Indiana State and Meghan Schuetz of Wichita State round out the top five in scoring average.
Favorite Wichita State enters the tournament as the league's top-rated team in the GolfStat team head-to-head team ratings. Southern Illinois is second in the ratings. Wichita State, Southern Illinois, Indiana State and Loyola all have tournament victories this year with the Salukis tallying four.