Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Golf to Host 2004 MVC Championship
04/15/2004 | 12:00:00 | Women's Golf
April 15, 2004
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois will host the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship on Apr. 18-20 at Hickory Ridge Golf Course. This year marks the third time in MVC Championship history that SIU plays host to the event.
Prior to this year, the MVC Women's Golf Championship was held in Carbondale in both 1991 and 1996. SIU finished fourth in '91 and third in '96.
SIU was tabbed second in the league's Pre-Championship Poll with 55 points and one first-place vote. The Salukis were picked behind Illinois State, who topped the voting with 59 points and five first-place votes. Northern Iowa (44 pts.) was chosen third with the other first-place nod, while Bradley (43 pts.), SMS (33 pts.), Wichita State (29 pts.), Creighton (16 pts.) and Evansville (9 pts.) rounded out the ballot.
The Dawgs enter the 2004 MVC Championship led by seniors Amy Rankin and Megan Tarrolly. Rankin ranks sixth among Valley leaders with a 78.292 stroke average, while Tarrolly is eighth with a 79.125 mark. Each have played a total of 24 rounds this season. Freshman Kelly Gerlach also ranks among the league's top-15, as she occupies the 12th-place spot with a 79.625 average in 24 rounds.
SIU looks to win its seventh conference title in school history. The Salukis last won a league crown in 2000, where they beat SMS by 11 strokes in Evansville, Ind. Before that, SIU won MVC championships in 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1998.
In recent years, the host school hasn't fared well in the MVC Championship. In fact, the last time a host school won the event was in 1999, where Bradley (952) edged Wichita State (965) by 13 strokes in Peoria, Ill. Since then, the host school hasn't finished better than third.
As mentioned before, the MVC Championship will be held at Hickory Ridge Golf Course, which is a beautiful 18 hole golf course located on the northwest edge of Carbondale. The course features championship tees and multiple other tee locations for all ages and skill levels. Hickory Ridge is a public golf course owned and operated by the Carbondale Park District, and serves as the home of Saluki Women's Golf. It will play 6,017 yards with a par of 72 for the MVC Championship.
Teams will play 54 holes over three days, with 18 holes each day. The winner of the Valley Tournament earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. Eight league schools sponsor women's golf, including Bradley, Creighton, Evansville, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, SIU, SMS and Wichita State.
