Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

St. Thomas wins sixth consecutive MIAC Golf Title

Coon Rapids, Minn (10/9/06)

Collecting three of the top 16 individual rounds in conference meet history over the weekend, Holly Noble cruised to conference titlist honors, as did her University of St. Thomas squad for the sixth year in a row at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championships, completed Monday at Bunker Hills Golf Course.

Noble, a junior, finished her dominating weekend with a final-round 4-over-par 77 on Monday to earn medalist honors with a 9-over-par 228 total (76-75-77), clearing the rest of the field by 17 strokes. She collected three of the four rounds played in the 70s among the 44 golfers competing at the 5,810-yard, par-73 Bunker Hills layout.

Noble claimed pars on 32 holes and birdies on five holes of the 54 she played on the weekend. Her second-round 75 tied Concordia-Moorhead's Jenni Kovash (1998) for the lowest individual round in conference meet history.

This year's MIAC women's golf meet was played as a three-day, 54-hole event for the first time.

Her St. Thomas squad also dominated, winning the team title for the sixth year in a row with a 975 total (340-319-316), clear of second-place Gustavus (343-337-331--1,011) by 36 strokes. St. Thomas clinched an automatic team berth in the 2007 NCAA Division III national championships, which will be held May 8-11, 2007 at the El Campeon Golf Course at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

The Tommies' final-round 316 marked the best 18-hole team score in the 18-year history of the MIAC meet. The Tommies' second-round 319 is now the third-best team round in conference meet history.

St. Thomas claimed the conference title for the seventh time in school history, and its sixth straight title matches Concordia-Moorhead's run of six straight crowns from 1995-2000 for the most consecutive team titles in league history. Concordia (11 titles) and St. Thomas (seven titles) are the only schools to have won MIAC women's golf championships since the conference meet began in 1989.

Both St. Thomas and Gustavus had three individuals apiece earn All-MIAC honors by finishing among the top 10 (with ties) in the field. In addition to Noble, St. Thomas' Laura Klatt (second place, 245) and Megan Hanson (ninth place, 251) earned all-conference honors, while Gustavus' Kali Griggs (fourth place, 249), Rachel Roberg (fifth place, 250) and Kimbra Kosak (10th place, 253) earned all-conference honors.

Macalester claimed a third-place finish in the standings (1,045), led by two All-MIAC finishers -- second-place Jordan Matheson (245) and fifth-place Karla Leon (250). Carleton finished fourth (1,058), also with two All-MIAC finishers -- fifth-place Kassie Wells (250) and 10th-place Katrina Wood (253).

Concordia placed fifth (1,070) and had one All-MIAC golfer -- Afton Pender, who finished fifth (250). St. Olaf (1,087), St. Mary's (1,092), St. Benedict (1,099) and Augsburg (1,185) followed in the team standings.