Combined Results | Individual Results | Team Scores
 
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Missouri State led wire to wire and saved its best round for the final day en route to claiming the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference women's golf championship here Tuesday at Dalhousie Country Club.
 
Missouri State finished the 54-hole tournament with a final round 297 – the best round of the tournament – to finish with a 913 total. Wichita State (933) was 20 strokes back, giving the Bears the event's largest margin of victory since 1996. Bradley (943) was third, followed by Illinois State (945) and Northern Iowa (947) among the upper-division finishers in the 10-team event.
 
It marked the third time the Bears have won the Valley women's golf title and first since 2012. MSU also won the team championship in 2001.
 
"They stepped up huge at just the right time," said MSU head coach Kevin Kane who was named MVC Coach of the Year for the fifth time and third time at MSU. "They were tough as nails. To dominate like they did on such a good golf course makes me extremely proud."
 
MSU's road to the 2017 crown was paved by junior Verena Gimmy (69-83-70—222) who posted the top two individual rounds of the tournament with a 69 on Sunday and a 70 on Tuesday to finish tied for second place. Gimmy, who earned a spot on the All-MVC squad, was just four strokes behind overall medalist Kayla Katterhenry of Evansville.
 
Senior teammate Caroline Boone (75-74-76—225) also earned All-MVC distinction for the Bears with a tie for fifth place.
 
MSU sophomores Ashley Childers (79-80-76—235) and Rachel Johnson (79-77-79—235) tied for 11^th place with solid outings, while junior Stine Pettersen saved her best effort for the final round, firing a 75 on Tuesday to finish at 84-84-75—243) and tie for 28^th place.
 
The par-72, 6,214-yard layout at the Dalhousie proved friendly to the Bears who fired a three-round 302-314-297—913 to dethrone the pre-tournament favorites and three-time defending champions from WSU.
 
Evansville's Katterhenry set the league record by winning her 11th career tournament, and she became the first UE golfer to earn medalist honors at the MVC Championship after firing a three-round 72-72-74—218.   Marissa Uradomo of Indiana State tied Gimmy for runner-up honors. Katterhenry and Uradomo completed their MVC careers having earned first-team All-MVC honors four times each.
 
The Bears advance to the NCAA Regional competition, May 8-10, as the automatic qualifier from the MVC.
 
#MSUBears
 
MSU Individuals
T2. Verena Gimmy     69-83-70--222
T5. Caroline Boone     75-74-76--225
T11. Ashley Childers   79-80-76—235
T11. Rachel Johnson  79-77-79—235
T28. Stine Pettersen   84-84-75—243
 
Team Standings
1. Missouri State – 913
2. Wichita State – 933
3. Bradley – 943
4. Illinois State – 945
5. Northern Iowa – 947
6. Southern Illinois – 948
7. Loyola – 955
8. Indiana State – 962
9. Evansville – 969
10. Drake -- 988
 
MVC All-Conference
Taryn Torgerson, Wichita State
Marissa Uradomo, Indiana State
Brooke Cusumano, Southern Illinois
Taylor Ledwein, Bradley
Kayla Katterhenry, Evansville
Kiley Walsh, Illinois State
Caroline Boone, Missouri State
Ally Scaccia, Bradley
Gavrilla Arya, Wichita State
Verena Gimmy, Missouri State
 
Elite 18 Award Winner:  Brooke Cusumano, Southern Illinois
Newcomer of the Year:  Taylor Ledwein, Bradley
Golfer of the Year:   Kayla Katterhenry, Evansville
Coach of the Year:  Kevin Kane, Missouri State