2017 WIAC Women's Golf Championship
REEDSBURG (October 7, 2017) - Now the dean among WIAC women's golf coaches,
Howie Samb has seen a lot in his 10 years as UW-Stout coach. But he has never seen a WIAC Championship tournament as competitive as this.
His Blue Devils shot a WIAC Championship-record 309 -- buoyed by a 2-over-par 74 by senior
Rachel Hernandez, who took a one-shot lead (154) -- during Saturday's rainy second round at Reedsburg Country Club only to have UW-Whitewater match them. That left Stout with the same three-stroke advantage over the Warhawks with which they began the day and only 18 holes left to decide a winner (and the school that will get the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship).
"The conference is really good," Samb said. "Oshkosh shot 319 (Saturday), which is phenomenal given this track. Eau Claire (329) faded a little bit. It's tough. And it's just getting better.
"I think 309 is the best we've ever shot (at conference) and we didn't gain a shot."
Indeed, both Stout and Whitewater bettered the WIAC Championship record of 311 that Stout set in the second round of the 2014 championship. The Blue Devils' 628 total for 36 holes tied the WIAC Championship record set by UW-Eau Claire in 2005 when it was a 36-hole tournament.
Hernandez, who came within a shot of Britt McNett-Emmerich's school record for lowest score at the WIAC championship, watched as sophomores
Trystin Kluess and
Madison McCambridge shot 77s and junior
Marie Allo added an 81. Stout threw out an 82 from sophomore
Alexa Filipiak, who -- like Allo (38) -- bounced back from a tough front nine with a 39 on the back nine.
"It was really nice," Hernandez said of her teammate's efforts. "I know everyone has been working really hard to make sure they don't get too down on themselves. I'm really proud of Alexa and Marie for coming back, but it's really tough to do that, especially in a circumstance like this at conference. I'm really proud of everybody and how they performed (Saturday)."
Kluess is tied for second with Whitewater's CheyAnn Knudsen behind Hernandez at 11-over 155. McCambridge moved into a tie for fourth with first-round leader Micayla Richards of Oshkosh (82) and Maddie McCue of Whitewater (75). Allo was tied for 11th with Oshkosh's Hannah Braun (77).
Junior
Haley Seifert, one of three Blue Devils competing as individuals, shot 83 and is tied for 23rd. Freshman
Alyssa Bee (92) and junior
Hannah Baker (98) were 32nd and 39th, respectively.
Stout's individuals will tee off starting at 10:21 a.m. Team golfers will tee off starting at 11:52 a.m.
STOUT HOLDS ONTO LEAD
REEDSBURG (October 7, 2017) - UW-Stout maintained their three-stroke lead and
Rachel Hernandez shot the lowest score of the second round to move into first individually after the second day of the WIAC Women's Golf Championship Saturday at Reedsburg Country Club.
All five of the Blue Devils either improved on their scores from the first day or matched their first day score - and Stout needed every single one of them with UW-Whitewater on their heels. Stout scored a 309 on Day Two, but so did the Warhawks who remained in second. UW-Oshkosh fell behind Stout by 15 strokes, despite improving on their first day score. The 309 is the third-best round in school history and the second best of the season.
Hernandez fired a 74 in the second round and, combined with her first day score of 80, wrote down a two-day score of 154 to jump from sixth to the top spot.
Trystin Kluess, who came into the day second, stayed at second going from a 78 to a 77 to tally a two-day score of 155, one stroke behind Hernandez and tied with Whitewater's CheyAnn Knudsen.
Madison McCambridge is tied for fourth (80-77 - 157),
Marie Allo is tied for 11th (81-81 - 162) and
Alexa Filipiak took the biggest jump of all and is tied for 24th (90-82 - 172).
Individually,
Haley Seifert is 23rd (86-83 - 169),
Alyssa Bee is 32nd (86-92 - 178) and
Hannah Baker is 39th (87-98 - 185).
