WIAC Championship Preview
Madison, Wis.--More than the already prestigious conference championship trophy will be at stake when the eight women's golf teams gather for the 11th edition of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship at Windwood of Watertown on Oct. 7-8.
Not only will the league crown be on the line, but an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship. For the first time ever, the league will determine its automatic qualifier into the national tournament at the conference meet. Previously, the league had to qualify for the NCAA Championship from a pool of at-large teams.
The national meet will be held May 8-11, 2007 at El Campeon Golf Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
UW-Eau Claire will look to become the first school in league history to win three consecutive women's golf titles. The Blugolds have won four crowns overall with additional victories in 1998 and 2001. In 2006, UW-Eau Claire has won the UW-Stevens Point Invitational and added second-place finishes at two additional events.
Junior Meghan Sobotta and senior Jessica Thompson lead the charge for the Blugolds. Sobotta has posted back-to-back third-place finishes at the conference meet and captured All-WIAC first team recognition the last two years. She also claimed National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-America second team status in 2005. This fall, she claimed medalist honors at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational.
Thompson was a NGCA All-Region selection a year ago and has claimed All-WIAC first team status the last two seasons. She finished third at last year's league championship after placing fifth in 2004.
UW-Oshkosh finished second a year ago and is the last team to win back-to-back conference titles after claiming 2002 and 2003 championships. The Titans have finished fourth or better in four of their five competitions this fall. The Titans are led by senior Jennifer Young who has secured NGCA All-America second team recognition the last three years. She finished sixth at last year's WIAC Championship and second during the 2004 meet.
UW-Stevens Point has finished fourth at the conference championships three consecutive seasons. The Pointers made school history this year when they won the nine-team UW-Oshkosh Invitational. It marked the largest multi-school tournament victory in the program's 11-year history. Senior Susie Lewis also captured medalist honors at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational to become the first Pointer to win an individual tournament title. She also was the top finisher at the Elmhurst College (Ill.) Invitational. Lewis earned NGCA All-Region honors a year ago and All-WIAC first team recognition two straight seasons.
UW-Whitewater registered a second-place finish in 2005, which marked the best finish for the program since a second-place standing in 2001. The Warhawks had a season-best third-place finish at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational and are led by sophomore Diana Schmidt. Schmidt was an All-WIAC second team choice a year ago. UW-Whitewater also looks for a low score from freshman Chelsea Davis, who shot back-to-back rounds of 79 at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational.
UW-Platteville will attempt to better last year's sixth-place finish. The Pioneers are led by sophomore Michelle Ebert.
UW-River Falls posted a third-place finish in 2004 for its highest WIAC ranking. The Falcons recorded a season-best fourth-place finish at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational. The Falcons are led by junior Jenna Gutzwiller.
UW-Stout is a team entry in the WIAC Championship for the first time in school history. Kris Schoonover, who directed UW-Oshkosh to conference titles in 2000, 2002 and 2003, is in her first season as head coach of the Blue Devils. UW-Stout should receive low rounds from sophomore Molly Loney.
UW-Superior will look to improve on seventh-place finishes each of the last three seasons. The Yellowjackets recorded a season-best second-place standing at the Carroll College Invitational and are led by junior Kimberly Store.
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