Southern Illinois University
MVC Championships
SIU concludes MVC Championship in fifth place
04/19/2016 | 12:00:00 | Women's Golf
Final MVC Championship Results 
By Elizabeth Robinson
SIUSalukis.com
CHICAGO, Ill. – The Saluki women's golf team concluded its season at the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Championship in fifth place with a 926 team score. SIU finished with a 318 in the final round on Tuesday, led by Hanna Netisingha who shot the team's lowest score at 77.
Netisingha was the Salukis' top finisher of the tournament, coming in at 12th place with an overall 229 score. Netisingha moved up 16 spots over the course of the tournament, after tying for 28th at the conclusion of the first round. Netisingha finished the day with two birdies and shot 10 holes on par, ultimately leading the Salukis with 35 pars throughout the tournament. She was the only Saluki to shoot in the 70s in all three rounds.
"I'm happy with Hanna's performance for the three rounds," SIU head coach Alexis Mihelich said. "She really showed her grit and competitive spirit. She's a hard worker, and she deserved to be our lowest finisher."
In her final tournament as a Saluki, senior Mattie Lindner was SIU's second-best finisher, tying for 25th place. Lindner's 81 in the third round put her at 234 overall. Lindner concludes the season with her lowest stroke average in her four years as a Saluki at 77.50. Her 79.30 career stroke average ranks 10th all-time in Saluki women's golf history.
After a strong performance in the opening round, Brooke Cusumano slipped behind in the second two, posting scores in the 80s on Monday and Tuesday. Cusumano's one-under par score in the opening round kept her in the top-30, tying for 28th place with a 235 score. Cusumano concludes the season with a 76.48 stroke average, which ranks fifth in SIU history for best stroke average in a season.
Kristie Yang and Sun Young Jung rounded out the Salukis' lineup in their first appearances at the MVC Championship. After an impressive second round where she shot an even 72, Jung added 10 strokes to her score with an 82 to close out the tournament. She finished tied for 32nd at 237. Yang followed just one stroke behind at 238 to tie for 34th.
The Salukis trailed Missouri State, in fourth place, by only four strokes. The team's 926 score, however, is 22 strokes lower than the Salukis' final score at last year's tournament. SIU finishes the season with a 307.85 four-player team average.
Wichita State won the tournament for the third consecutive year with an 884 final score. The Shockers are just the third team in MVC history to win the title for three straight years. Wichita's Taryn Torgerson claimed the individual title, finishing two under par at 214.
Next year the Salukis will host the 2017 MVC Championship at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
"We couldn't get it going today, but we didn't give up and kept grinding through," Mihelich said. "I think this championship is a great learning experience for when we host at Dalhousie next April."
SIU Individual Scores
T12. Hanna Netisingha – 79-73-77 (229)
T25. Mattie Lindner – 77-76-81 (234)
T28. Brooke Cusumano – 71-81-83 (235)
T32. Sun Young Jung – 83-72-82 (237)
T34. Kristie Yang – 83-77-78 (238)
Team Scores
1. Wichita State – 297-289-298 (884)
2. Indiana State – 306-287-304 (897)
3. Bradley – 299-298-305 (902)
4. Missouri State – 320-297-305 (922)
5. Southern Illinois – 310-298-318 (296)
6. Loyola – 307-306-316 (929)
7. Evansville – 315-303-316 (934)
8. Illinois State – 316-302-317 (935)
9. Northern Iowa – 311-303-322 (936)
10. Drake – 317-312-326 (955)
Players Mentioned
