Michigan State University
NCAA Championships @ LPGA International
Michigan State Finishes 16th At The NCAA Championships
5/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 25, 2007
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Seniors Mandi McConnell, Rachel Meikle and Heather Rose all finished within the top 50 at the NCAA Women's Golf Championships for Michigan State, as the team finished the four-round tournament in 16th place at the LPGA International Legends Course on Friday. The 16th-place finish is tied for the second-best finish in the team's eight trips to the championships, as it also finished 16th in 1984. The Spartans finished tied for 12th in 2001.
Michigan State finished with a four-day total of 1,232 (310-307-312-303), but its 15-over-par final round helped it break a tie for 16th place with 18th-ranked North Carolina. The Spartans finished ahead of four other schools in the nation's top 20, including 13th-ranked Tennesee (T-17th), 16th-ranked Brigham Young (T-17th), 19th-ranked New Mexico (22nd) and 20th-ranked Denver (20th). Duke wrapped up its third straight NCAA Championship with an 18-over-par performance during the tournament.
"We wanted to put up a good number today and 303 was the best number we put up this week," Michigan State head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said. "We finished higher than we were ranked, beating some teams that were ranked higher than us all year. That shows the character of our players. We had a great season, winning the Big Ten Championships and having an individual champion. We were ranked all season long. We're walking away knowing we accomplished a lot."
McConnell (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) finished in a tie for 30th to lead the Spartans while Meikle (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) tied for 40th and Rose (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) tied for 50th as the trio is the first in school history to record three top-50 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
McConnell finished her second NCAA Championships at 14-over-par with a four-day total of 302 (74-76-79-73), as she posted a Spartan-best round of 73 on Friday. McConnell posted seven pars on the back nine to go along with a birdie on the par-4, 368-yard No. 13 to help her make the turn at even-par. On the front nine, she had four pars and birdies on the par-4, 370-yard No. 1 and the par-5, 474-yard No. 5.
McConnell finished the season with a 76.18 stroke average in 40 rounds, which is the ninth best in school history. Her 76.84 career scoring average through 112 rounds is fifth in school history.
Rose finished the tournament with a 2-over-par 74 to help her finish a career-best 50th at the NCAAs. After a first round 81, the senior played the next three rounds at 9-over-par. She posted seven pars and a birdie on No. 13 on the back nine Friday to make the turn at even-par. She had five pars and a birdie on the front nine and posted a birdie on the par-4, 340-yard No. 4 to finish her career.
Rose, who set the school record for rounds played with 148, competed in the NCAA Championships three times in her career. She finished the year with a career-low 76.7 scoring average and her 77.33 career scoring average is the eighth-best in school history.
Meikle finished her career with a 78 on Friday, helping her finish the tournament with a 16-over-par 304 (77-73-76-78). Finishing tied for 40th, Meikle smashed her 107th-place finish at the championships as a sophomore. She started off her round strong, posting birdies on the par-4, 358-yard No. 10 and the par-4, 357-yard No. 11. She also posted a birdie on the par-5, 523-yard No. 16 to help her make the turn at even par. On the front nine, she added a birdie on the par-4, 364-yard No. 5 to go along with five pars.
Meikle, who won the Big Ten Championships on April 29, finished the season with a 76.5 scoring average, the lowest of her career. Her 77.21 scoring average in 112 career rounds is the seventh lowest in school history.
"It's been a great ride," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "They are three very different, but special young women. It was hard to watch them coming in today knowing it was their final round. They all played spectacular golf today, with Mandi finishing 1-over-par, Heather 2-over and Rachel making four birdies. It was so nice and refreshing. The three of them this spring were so key to our success. It was so great to see them step up."
Sophomore Holly Niederkohr (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) finished her first NCAA Championships with her finest round of the event, posting a 6-over-par 78, thanks to her first birdie of the tournament on the final hole, the par-4, 356-yard No. 9. The sophomore added 11 pars, including six in a row before her birdie.
Junior Sara Brown (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic) added a 7-over-par 79 to round out the scoring for the Spartans. She posted 11 pars during the round to go along with a birdie on the par-5, 474-yard No. 8. Brown finished the season with a 75.35 scoring average, the fifth-best in school history while her 75.63 career scoring average in 111 rounds tops the school's chart.
For complete results, please visit: Golfstat.com.
Players Mentioned
