Story by Keith Jaco
Staff writer
rjaco@murraystate.edu
Murray State women’s golf will look to win its third consecutive OVC Championship and 12th in school history as they compete at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on Monday, April 15.
The Racers have won the OVC Championship three years in a row two separate times in Murray State women’s golf’s 25 year history, including 11 total wins and five runner-ups, all under Head Coach Velvet Milkman.
Murray State is playing its best golf of the year at the right time, finishing each of its last three tournaments in the top 3, including a win in the Citrus Challenge at Redtail Golf Course in Sorrento, Florida.
The Racers, alongside the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky, are likely favorites as Murray State enters the tournament with three experienced players in senior Anna Moore, from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, senior Linette Holmslykke, from Vejle, Denmark, and junior Raeysha Surendran, from Selangor, Malaysia.
Moore was the Racers’ highest finisher in the event last year, placing in 24th on scores of 88-74-73?240 while EKU senior Elsa Moberly finished in fifth place on scores of 73-76-75?224.
The Colonels are arguably the hottest team participating this week, placing first in their previous two events with wins in the Colonel Classic and the Jan Weaver Invitational.
EKU junior Hannabeth Owens and sophomore Ragnhildur Kristinsdottir have each helped the Colonels have success this season. Owens finished the last two tournaments tied for sixth and 11th while Kristinsdottir finished in ties for second and 11th. With each player’s improvement this season, it is easy to believe that the Colonels are ready to make a push to the top this time around.
While the Colonels pose the biggest threat to the Racers this week, teams like Jacksonville State and Austin Peay have what it takes to upset the favorites.
JSU is coming off a 10th place finish in the UNF Collegiate and a sixth place finish in the John Kirk-Panther Intercollegiate. JSU senior Paula Vega used a 12th-place finish at UNF and a second place finish in the JKP Intercollegiate to propel her team to solid finishes.
With help from JSU sophomores Ana Perez Altuna and Valentina Curet, the Gamecocks could stay in serious contention until match play wraps up on Wednesday, April 17.
Austin Peay has had a solid fall season, placing in the top 10 in four of their five tournaments, including a fourth place finish in the Citrus Challenge and a fifth place finish in the Spring Break Shootout.
The Governors are led by senior Reagan Greene and freshman Taylor Dedmen. Greene is coming off a 12th-place finish in the Citrus Challenge and a tie for 48th in the Jan Weaver Invitational. Dedmen is coming off a career-best finish in second place in the Spring Break Classic last month.
Despite a 12th-place finish in the Jan Weaver Invitational, APSU has the talent to play with any team in the field of nine this week.
The 26th OVC Championship will take place Monday, April 15, and will conclude Wednesday, April 17, at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.