DANIELS, W.Va. -- After putting together a spectacular "moving day" performance in the second round to erase a 10-shot deficit, the Midway women's golf team carried that momentum into Tuesday's final round, securing its second consecutive River States Conference Women's Golf Championship.
The Eagles, who posted what is believed to be the best team round in program history at the RSC Championship with a
24-over 312 on Monday, followed it up with another strong performance Tuesday, carding a 28-over 316 to finish with a 54-hole total of 952 (324-312-316).
Midway's final total of 952 was good enough for a runaway victory over IU East (Ind.), which finished second at 972 (314-327-331). St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) placed third with a three-round total of 1,008 (328-341-339).
"I'm very proud of this group and the way they competed throughout the tournament," said head coach
Otis Smith. "Shooting a 312 — which I believe is the lowest round ever recorded at the RSC Championship — was a tremendous accomplishment. To respond the way we did after trailing by 10 shots was really impressive to watch."
Midway, which saw its lead trimmed to as few as four shots early in Tuesday's final round, steadily pulled away throughout the day on its way to a dominant victory. The championship marks the Eagles' second consecutive conference title and the seventh in program history.
Midway not only dominated the team standings, but also placed all five golfers inside the top 13 individually, including the top three spots on the leaderboard.
Midway had three players earn First Team All-Conference recognition in
Savannah Salchli,
Kasey Cameron, and
Kelsay Collins, while
Anna New and
Anna Simpson earned Second Team and Third Team honors, respectively.
Salchli, who entered the final round in second place and two shots off the lead, tied for the lowest round of the tournament Tuesday with a 3-over 75 to finish with a 16-over 232 (78-79-75). The junior was the lone player in the field to shoot all three rounds in the 70s.
Salchli punctuated her final round with birdies on her final two holes — the par-3 17th and par-5 18th — to secure medalist honors and the first individual victory of her collegiate career.
Finishing four shots behind Salchli in second place was Cameron, who earned First Team All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season. The sophomore carded a 9-over 81 in the final round to finish with a 54-hole total of 236 (80-75-81).
Cameron's performance at the spring championship, combined with her showing at the fall preview, earned her
River States Conference Golfer of the Year honors for the second straight season.
Collins earned the first All-Conference honor of her career after climbing the leaderboard throughout the tournament. The sophomore sat tied for 16th following the opening round before firing a 77 in round two and a 79 in the final round to finish third overall with a 240.
New, a junior from Somerset, Ky., tied for ninth with a 54-hole total of 244 (82-81-81), while Simpson, a freshman from Bardstown, Ky., carded a 248 (86-81-81) to finish tied for 13th.
"I want to congratulate Savannah on earning her first collegiate victory, especially in a moment this big," said Smith. "I also want to congratulate Kasey on winning her second straight Golfer of the Year award as the top player in the conference. For all five of our players to earn all-conference honors is another tremendous accomplishment for this group."
Unsurprisingly, Smith was named RSC Women's Golf Coach of the Year following Midway's championship performance, sharing the honor with assistant coach
Sydnee Beard.
"Sydnee has been instrumental to our success over the past few years," said Smith. "This week was a testament to her hard work and commitment in helping our players navigate the emotional ups and downs of conference play."
The victory at the RSC Championship automatically qualifies Midway for the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship, set for May 19-22 at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
"I look forward to seeing what we can do at nationals," Smith said. "If we play like we did over the last two rounds, we really have a chance."
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