May 4, 2004
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Mizzou Returns to NCAA Central Regional
The University of Missouri women's golf squad returns to NCAA Regional competition for the sixth time in seven years on Thursday when it opens play in the NCAA Central Regional Championships. The tourney will be played in Normal, Ill., at the University Golf Course (Par 71, 5995 yards) with a 21-team field playing during the three-day tournament.
Mizzou head coach Stephanie Cooper, who is in her third year as coach at Mizzou, was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year last week at the Big 12 Championships. The Tigers had moved from 10th to 6th heading into the last day of the tournament after shooting a second round best score of 299. However, they were unable to pursue their second straight top-three finish in Big 12 Championship play as the final round was rained out which allowed Texas taking the team title.
Last year, Mizzou finished 12th at the NCAA Central Regional in Lincoln, Neb., at the Firethorn Country Club. Former Tiger Elin Ohlsson (who will graduate next weekend) was MU's top individual performer with a 12th place finish to end her career.
Notes of Note
Mizzou is one of five schools in the Big 12 to compete at the Central Regional and one of eight from the conference to qualify for regional play ... this is the Tigers' second straight appearance in NCAA Regional competition and their sixth in the last seven years ... Mizzou won the last tournament they played in Normal, Ill., on Sept. 7-8, 2003 at the Illinois State Redbird Classic ... four Tigers finished in the top 12 at the Classic including sophomore Denise Knaebel, who finished in third with a 220 ... Knaebel continues to lead the Big 12 in stroke average at 74.2 strokes per 18 holes ... Mizzou has finished in the top three in seven of the 10 tournaments they have played in so far this season ... sophomore Kelli Strubinger continues to be a solid contributor, finishing in the top 16 in each of the Tigers' last two tournaments ... junior Maria Ohlsson was Mizzou's only medalist at this year's rain-shortened Big 12 Championships, finishing in a tie for fourth place with rounds of 73 and 74 (147).
Big 12 Stroke Average Leaders
(As of April 28, 2004) Name Sc. Cl. Rds. SA D. Knaebel MU So 29 74.20 C. Boucher KSU Sr 27 74.33 L. Meldrum OU Sr 29 74.70 M. Ohlsson MU Jr 29 74.80 A. Thurman OSU Jr 26 74.92 J. Olivencia UT Sr 26 75.15 K. Sjodin OSU So 23 75.30 N. Melton TA Jr 25 75.40 J. Svenningsson BU So 24 75.50 H. Edge OU Sr 29 76.00
Head Coach Stephanie Cooper
Former Tiger Stephanie Cooper is in her third year as head coach of the Tigers. She has led the Tigers back into the national spotlight having qualified for NCAA Regional competition in each of the last two years. Mizzou has registered 18 Top 3 finishes during Cooper's first three years at the helm, including its first and second tourney championships under her tutelage at the Illinois State Redbird Classic and the Indiana Invitational.
Oh What a Season It Has Been
The Tigers have definitely had one of the most memorable seasons in school history in 2003-04. Several records have been bested and droughts ended during the course of this breakout season with the postseason yet to come.
Over the course (no pun intended) of the Mizzou's ten tournaments this season, it has recorded two wins and seven top-three finishes. The Tigers' first win of the season at the Illinois State Redbird Classic was their first victory under third-year head coach Stephanie Cooper. It was also the first time a Tiger squad had won a tourney since the Fall Season of 2000.
Junior Maria Ohlsson capped off an unbelievable fall season with the best 54-hole total in school history with a 215 at the Las Vegas Collegiate Shootout.
Sophomore Denise Knaebel and Ohlsson are also on the verge of recording the two lowest stroke averages in school history. Knaebel carries a Big 12-best mark of 74.2 into the NCAA Central Regional Championships while Ohlsson checks in with a 74.9 average.
And if those landmarks aren't quite enough for you, Mizzou will more than likely record the lowest team stroke average of all time with a mark of 302.1, besting the previous low by over four strokes (306.8 set by last season's squad).
Stay tuned ...
Awards Abound for Mizzou Women's Golf Team
Missouri Head Women's Golf Coach Stephanie Cooper has been named the 2003-04 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year and Denise Knaebel and Maria Ohlsson earned spots on the All-Big 12 Golf squad, it was announced by the Big 12 Conference office. The awards were presented at the Big 12 Championships in College Station, Texas.
In only three years on the job, Cooper has led Mizzou to national prominence on the college golf scene. The Tigers have recorded 18 top-three finishes during her tenure at Mizzou and won their first two tournaments under her tutelage this season. Cooper, who played at Mizzou from 1990-94, has led Mizzou to seven top-three finishes in ten tournaments so far this year The Tigers are also getting it done in the classroom with five members named to the Academic All-Big 12 team. This is Cooper's first "Coach of the Year" honor since taking the reigns at Mizzou in 2001.
Knaebel, who was named to the five-person first team, and Ohlsson, who was named to the five-person second team, have both shot lights-out during the course of the 2003-04 season.
Knaebel, who hails from Moberly, Mo., leads the Big 12 in stroke average at 74.2 strokes per 18 and earned Academic All-Big 12 Honors earlier this week. She has finished in the top 10 six times this season and has not finished out of the top 20 in ten tournaments played.
Ohlsson is fourth in the conference in stroke average at 74.9. She has recorded five top 10 finishes in 2003-04 with her best finish coming at the Las Vegas Collegiate Shootout, where she shot a one-under par 215 which is a Mizzou school record for 54 holes. Ohlsson is from Vetlanda, Sweden and is the younger sister of former Tiger standout Elin Ohlsson, who will graduate from Mizzou next weekend.
The Details
The NCAA Central Regional will be played at the University Golf Course, which will be setup at 5,995 yards and par 71.
And the Winner is ...
Check back to www.mutigers.com on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for complete results and updates. For more information on Mizzou women's golf, log on to www.mutigers.com.
Tiger Awards
All-Big 12 First Team Denise KnaebelAll-Big 12 Second Team Maria Ohlsson
Big 12 Coach of the Year Stephanie Cooper
Academic All-Big 12 First Team Kelli Strubinger, Denise Knaebel, Emily Spellman and Stephanie Turner
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team Tara Jacobsen