Oct. 1, 2008

Story courtesy of South Dakota School of Mines Sports Information Department

RAPID CITY, S.D. ---- The four-time defending NAIA National Champion women’s golf team, the Oklahoma City University Lady Stars, proved why they have been so dominate in women’s golf  with an impressive win at the NAIA Women’s Golf National Preview Tournament held Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 29-30) at Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rapid City, S.D. The Stars shot a two-day total of 604 to win the high caliber meet by 18 strokes.

The field held plenty of tough competition and the players were no strangers to the stress of a national tournament type meet.

Bethel College – Indiana, who is a perennial national tournament team qualifier, took second place Tuesday with a team total of 622 while Embry-Riddle – Florida, last season’s runners-up squad, secured third place at the preview meet, carding 635 strokes. William Woods University – Missouri, ended the NAIA Preview tournament in fourth place after tallying 649 as a team. William Woods has been to the national tournament five consecutive years.

The Stars not only won the team competition but swept the individual standings by taking the top three spots. Christina Cung carded a 150 (76-74) to squeak out a narrow victory over teammates Sydney Cox and Laura Jones who both put up scores of 151 for a second-place tie. Bethel’s Shanna Page and Brooke Gilbert finished in a tie for fourth place with identical scores of 153 while William Woods’ Jada Bennington held sole share of sixth place with a 154.

Locally, Dakota Wesleyan University out of Mitchell, S.D., who also made the trip to the national tournament last spring, competed in the preview tournament, where they finished in fifth place with a team score of 691. DWU’s Heather Love carded the lowest score for the Tigers, posting a 165 for 19^th place.

And even more locally, Black Hills State and Minot State were probably the most familiar with the course, getting a chance to play on it every spring. The Yellow Jackets shot a team total of 729 for sixth place and Minot took eighth with 747 strokes.

The NAIA Women’s National Championships is slated for May 12-15, 2009 at the same Meadowbrook Golf Course.  The format will be a 72-hole tournament with up to 129 golfers entered.