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ROCKFORD, Ill. - Grinnell College defeated the field by 65 strokes over the 54-hole 2017 Midwest Conference (MWC) Women's Golf Championship and won their fifth consecutive conference title. Vidushi Sinha earned her second individual title, making her the fourth player ever to win at least two conference championships.
Results
Sinha led wire-to-wire over the three-day event and totaled a seven-over par 226. Her three-day total is the second-best in MWC Championship history, just behind Vrishali Sinha's 221 from 2016. The Pioneers total score of 986 is also second all-time and just five shots behind last season's 981. Vrishali Sinha finished just six strokes behind Vidushi to claim runner-up, while the Pioneers were also boosted by Samanike Hengst's seventh-place finish.
St. Norbert College claimed second and saved its best for last as today's round (347) was its lowest of the tournament. The Green Knights were led by Zjennai Vang's tie for fifth and Amy Holzer, who tied for ninth. St. Norbert's Megan Lau was named the league's Elite 20 Award winner for the second consecutive season. The Elite 20 Award is handed out to the competing student-athlete with the highest grade-point average. First-year head coach Susan Anstett was named Co-Coach of the Year along with Lake Forest College's Tamlyn Tills.
The Foresters took third as a team and finished 16 strokes behind the Green Knights. Faith Jung was named the league's Newcomer of the Year after the tournament as she finished tied for fifth overall (260). The Foresters' Kaitlyn Gray and Amanda Lee also earned All-MWC honors.
Monmouth College finished fourth in the team standings with a three-day total of 1,083. The Scots' Haley Hoekstra earned All-MWC honors as she finished fourth overall (259). Illinois College finished 15 shots behind the Fighting Scots to finish the team standings.
Knox College did not score as a team, but did produce one of the top finishers of the tournament. Samantha Nichols, the league's reigning Newcomer of the Year, finished third with a 257.
All-Conference Team
| 1. |
Vidushi Sinha |
Grinnell |
226 |
| 2. |
Vrishali Sinha |
Grinnell |
232 |
| 3. |
Samantha Nichols |
Knox |
257 |
| 4. |
Haley Hoekstra |
Monmouth |
259 |
| 5. |
Zjennai Vang |
St. Norbert |
260 |
| 5. |
Faith Jung |
Lake Forest |
260 |
| 7. |
Samanike Hengst |
Grinnell |
262 |
| 8. |
Kaitlyn Gray |
Lake Forest |
263 |
| 9. |
Amy Holzer |
St. Norbert |
265 |
| 9. |
Amanda Lee |
Lake Forest |
265 |
Team Standings
| 1. |
Grinnell |
986 |
| 2. |
St. Norbert |
1,051 |
| 3. |
Lake Forest |
1,067 |
| 4. |
Monmouth |
1,083 |
| 5. |
Illinois College |
1,098 |