McKinney, TX - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's golf team
saw its streak of seven straight American Southwest Conference
championships come to an end with a second place finish at the ASC
Tournament Tuesday afternoon in McKinney. The Lady Cru fired a team
total of 334-342=676 and finished seven strokes behind Texas Lutheran
University's 331-338=669 total. The Lady Bulldogs win their first ASC
title and clinch the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III
National Championships with the win. UMHB had won seven straight
conference tournaments and has never finished lower than second in the
ASC Tournament. McMurry University finished third with a 357-344=701,
Hardin-Simmons University took fourth place at 352-350=702, LeTourneau
University claimed fifth place with a 373-372=745 and U.T.-Dallas was
sixth with a 437-423=860 team score. The two-day, 36-hole event was
played on a par-72, 5,871-yard layout at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club
in McKinney.
UMHB's Jenna Felechner won the individual championship after
shooting 76-79=155. She posted a seven stroke victory over Barbara John
of McMurry and Carly Hanson of Texas Lutheran. Felechner is the fifth
UMHB player to win the ASC Tournament individual championship and she
also earned ASC All-Conference First Team honors. Christi Williams tied
for eighth place for the Lady Cru after shooting 83-88=171. Williams was
an ASC All-Conference Second Team selection. Venessa Gonzalez finished
14th after carding an 88-86=174 for UMHB, Heather Barber was 15th with
an 87-89=176 and Courtney Kruppa finished 17th at 92-90=182.
"We fought hard all day and just came up a little short," Lady
Cru head coach Darla Kirby said. "Texas Lutheran just made the shots
when they had to today. I am very pleased with our effort today and I am
thrilled for Jenna and our whole team is excited that she got the win. I
am also proud of Christi for earning Second Team All-Conference."
The UMHB women will now have to wait for word on a possible
at-large bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships. The field
for the NCAA tournament will be announced on Monday, April 30th. The
Lady Cru has appeared in six straight NCAA Tournaments.