Lindsay Aho paced the Cavaliers after finishing in a two-way tie for 16th place.
Concordia Sets All-Time Best Finish at NAIA Women's Golf Championships
Complete Results
RAPID CITY, S.D.–The Concordia women’s golf team moved up in the team standings for the third straight day, culminating in the school’s all-time best finish after concluding the four-round tournament held at Meadowbrook Golf Course in seventh place.
With a 35-over 323, Concordia (326-329-325-323—1,303) saved its best round of the event for the finale, moving up one spot in the team standings on the final day of action. The Cavaliers had a previous best finish during the 2005 championships when they placed eighth overall in just the second year of the program’s existence.
The Cavs fell one stoke shy of sixth-place team Berry (322-328-327-325—1,302). Lindsey Wilson (325-336-322-322—1,305) nearly caught CU after jumping two spots to eighth place while the University of Victoria (315-345-324-323—1,307) finished four strokes back of Concordia for ninth place. Coming in ranked No. 15 in the NAIA, the Cavalier s defeated eight higher ranked teams.
The top five teams remained in order as Oklahoma City University (302-311-302-313—1,228) hoisted their fifth straight NAIA title by running away with a 33-stroke win over second place Bethel (303-330-306-322—1,261). Embry Riddle and Cal Baptist tied for third and British Columbia went fifth in the team standings.
Concordia used consistent play throughout the tournament as all four rounds came within six strokes of each other. The Cavaliers opened in 12th place and moved up to ninth during the second round. They stood in eighth place entering the final round of competition. CU tied with Victoria for the fifth best round of the day. Lindsay Wilson and Bethel each shot a 322, Cal Baptist a 319 and OKC fired a 313 in the final round.
Boosted by a 7-over 79 in the final go-around, Aho (83-77-78-79—317) led the Cavaliers, tying Victoria’s Anne Balser (76-84-77-80—317) with a 16th-place finish.
One of only two golfers (out of 94 individuals) to lower her score each round of the event, Holly Speer (84-82-81-79—326) also posted a 79 to finish in a tie for 36th place. Sara Taylor (81-85-83—332) finished as CU’s third golfer with the aid of her second straight 83. After back-to-back 85s to stand in 81st place at the midway point, Kim Tilton (85-85-83-82—335) moved 21 places up the board with an 82 on Friday following an 83 yesterday.
Three strokes back of Tilton, Kim Lindow (78-90-85-85—338) rounded out the CU contingent. After turning in the team’s second best round of the tournament in the opener, Lindow tallied consecutive 85s to finish in 73rd.
Four Cavs improved in the individual standings after each round. Aho ended the opening tour in 78th place before moving up to 22nd through the third round. Speer started the tournament in 86nd, moved up to 55th after the second round, and 45th place through the third round before finishing in 36th. Taylor went from 56th to 55th to 54th and finished in 49th. Tilton worked her way down from 99th to 60th.
Aho’s 16th-place finish is the second best by a Cavalier golfer at nationals, second only to Aho’s 13th-place result last year. Speer’s 36th-place finish is the fifth-best in school history while Taylor tied for the ninth best individual finish.
With Tilton the lone senior in the group, the Cavaliers should return four of its five core members for next season.
Oklahoma City’s Sydney Cox (77-73-73-74—297) maintained her lead over teammate Ashley Sholer (76-77-73-74—300) to claim medalist honors.
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