For the first time in MVC women's Golf history, Evansville has hoisted the championship trophy. The Aces, picked ninth in the pre-championship poll, won in dramatic fashion, defeating UNI in a sudden death playoff, earning the victory on the first playoff hole (No. 18). UNI, which has finished as MVC Championship runner-up for three-straight seasons, stormed from 10 strokes down in the final round to force the tie as both teams had 54-hole totals of 942.
The sudden death tiebreaker marked the third-such finish in league history and first since 2003.
The Championship was contested at the par-71, 5,987-yard Bogey Hills Country Club in St. Charles, Mo. Bogey Hills will also host the MVC Women's Golf Championship in 2023. Teams navigated the final 18 holes of play through snow and cold temperatures.
Evansville's Sophia Rohleder earned medalist honors, firing a three-round 75-74-80=229, edging runner-up finishers Abby Cavaiani of Missouri State and Emily Snelling of UNI (both with three-round scores of 231. With the title, Evansville will represent the MVC in the NCAA Regionals. The Aces had never finished above 7th place in the MVC Championship.
Conference awards were announced at the conclusion of the championship, and for just the third time, co-coaches of the year were recognized. Coaches voted post-round on the Golfer of the Year award, the Newcomer of the Year honor and the Coach of the Year winner. The Elite 17 Award is presented to the student-athlete who finishes among the Top 18 and has the highest cumulative GPA among those finishers. Cavaiani holds a 3.988 in administration management.
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Taylor Ledwein, Bradley
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Maria Toledo Bailey, Illinois State
MEDALIST: Sophia Rohleder, Evansville
ELITE 17 AWARD: Abby Cavaiani, Missouri State
COACH OF THE YEAR: John Bermel (UNI); John Andrews & Jim Hamilton (UE)
ALL-CONFERENCE
Maria Toledo Bailey, Illinois State
Hannah Bermel, UNI
Abby Cavaiani, Missouri State
Lauren Green, Indiana State
Taylor Ledwein, Bradley
Haeri Lee, Drake
Sophia Rohleder, Evansville
Moyea Russell, Southern Illinois
Emily Snelling, UNI
Emma Sutton, Illinois State
MONDAY RECAP (36 HOLES)
After 36 holes, the Evansville Purple Aces have a 10-shot lead over the field at the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship, which is being contested at the par-71, 5,987-yard Bogey Hills Country Club in St. Charles, Mo. Team score of 300 and 304 gave UE a 604, which is 10 ahead of UNI and 14 in front of both Illinois State and Southern Illinois who are tied for third place.
Teams will play 18 holes on Tuesday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. CT. In order to attempt to beat the weather the format was changed to a shotgun (rather than tee times) on Tuesday. Evansville, which was picked ninth in the pre-championship poll, has never finished higher than 7th in the MVC Championship (beginning with its first year in 1997).
An incredible team effort across the board has the Purple Aces in front. Sophia Rohleder is on top of the leaderboard with a 2-round score of 149. Following a 75 to open the championship, Rohleder carded a 3-over 74 to take the lead. Her score is one in front of a second-place tie between UNI’s Emily Snelling and Faith Belmear from Missouri State. She leads a contingent of four UE players in the top 14. Second on the squad is Alyssa McMinn, who is tied for fourth place with a 151. While the majority of participants in the tournament saw their scores rise from the first to second round, McMinn did the opposite. Following a 76, she finished round two with a 75 to wrap up the day in a top five spot. She is two off of Rohleder’s leading pace.
Two players are tied for second place, one shot behind UE's Rohleder. Faith Belmear of Missouri State (74-76) topped the Bears scoring today while Emily Snelling of UNI (72-78) also carded a 150. UNI's Sydney Eaton (151) and UE's McMinn round out the Top 5.
The tournament has featured a pair of eagles with Brooke Newell of Missouri State notching one in the first round on the par-4, 289-yard Hole No. 14, and Bradley's Taylor Ledwein holing out on the par-4 331-yard 18th hole (also in the first round).