MIAC Women's Golf Preview

MIAC women's golf preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office

Click here for the complete MIAC women's golf preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It's a good time to be a golfer in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), despite the havoc wreaked by Mother Nature the last two springs. In recent years, the MIAC men have had multiple teams appear in the national rankings and in the NCAA Division III Championship field, and last season the MIAC Women's Golf Championship featured the most dramatic finish possible in a team golf event - a championship decided by a single stroke.

As the MIAC's men's and women's golf teams get set to tee off the 2014 season, the momentum and excitement generated in recent years is palpable. Teams throughout the conference are ready to being fine-tuning their swings for the 2014 MIAC Golf Championships, which will again be held at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn., Oct. 4-6.

A year ago, the Saint John's men emerged from a crowded field thanks to a total team effort to capture the MIAC Men's Golf Championship and, on the women's side, St. Thomas turned a one-shot deficit heading into the final day into a one-shot victory over Carleton in an epic showdown for the ages. This season, the Johnnies will try to defend their title against a competitive field that includes recent national tournament participants Gustavus and St. Thomas, while the Tommies and Knights will again headline the women's field, with several other teams hoping to leap into contention in 2014.

The new season should be filled with low scores and great shots, considering that only four total All-Conference players from a season ago - one woman and three men - were seniors. That level of returning talent results in lots of experience and heightened anticipation throughout the league.

WOMEN'S GOLF FILLED WITH FAMILIAR FACES
The 2014-15 MIAC golf season officially tees off on Friday, Aug. 29, with many conference teams in action. The MIAC women don't have to wait long for a marquee event, as eight of the league's teams will all compete Saturday and Sunday at the UW-Eau Claire Georgianni Memorial Invite in Eau Claire, Wis. There will also be multiple MIAC teams in the fields at the Wartburg (Iowa) Invitational and Concordia Invitational on Sept. 6-7, the Carleton College Division III Classic Sept. 13-14 and at the Saint Benedict Invitational and the College City Challenge, both on Sept. 20-21.

A year ago, only one member of the All-Conference team was a senior - St. Thomas star and MIAC Player- and Senior-of-the-Year Doyle O'Brien - so rosters will be absolutely loaded with talent throughout the league. Though the Tommies lost O'Brien, All-MIAC selections Erin Dingmann and Rachel Morris both return. Carleton is also poised to contend again with MIAC Rookie-of-the-Year Shannon Holden back for her sophomore season, along with fellow All-Conference selections Grace Gilmore, Kelsey Moede, Geraldine Tellbuescher and Taylor Wells.

Gustavus, Bethel and Saint Benedict all have multiple All-MIAC selections back as well. Jordan Drenttel, Sam Falk and Mae Meierhenry are all back for the Gusties, Erika Schwalbe and Abby Perrenoud both return for the Royals, and the Blazers welcome back Bridget Cummings and Grace Todora. St. Catherine's Abby Conzemius also returns to her squad after earning All-Conference honors in 2013-14, and she'll team up with senior Ellen Rager to try and lead the Wildcats to new heights under first-year head coach Michelle Edlin.

Augsburg welcomes back two of its top three scorers from a year ago in sisters Katie and Rachel Kristofferson. Concordia's top two players from 2013-14 - Katie Nelson and Kristi Opatz - are back for their senior campaigns. Macalester will be led by senior Suzanne Dufault and sophomore Cyndi McMillian, who were among the Scots top four scores last season. Saint Mary's has a new coach - Matt Johnson - and hope for the future as its top two players, Kortney Wobbe and Madison Gately, were rookies a year ago. St. Olaf is just two years removed from back-to-back MIAC titles and senior leaders Maxine Carlson and Nadia Baka will try to lead the Oles back towards the top of the standings.

MANY TALENTED MEN RETURN
Five of the MIAC's men's team begin play this weekend, but their season will begin in earnest on Sept. 6-7 when Augsburg hosts eight MIAC teams at its Augsburg Fall Invitational. There will be nine MIAC teams in the Saint John's Invitational field Sept. 13-14 and both the UW-Eau Claire Invitational (Sept. 21-22) and the Gustavus Twin Cities Classic (Sept. 27-29) will feature strong MIAC participation as well. Those marquee events will certainly help shape the MIAC golf landscape heading into the conference championships in early October.

Only three seniors - MIAC Player-of-the-Year Casey Vangsness, Gustavus' Tyler McMorrow and Augsburg's Eric Aughinbaugh - graduated off last year's All-Conference team so, like the women, the bulk of the league's top players are all back. Defending champ Saint John's returns MIAC Freshman-of-the-Year Ryan Gallagher and All-Conference selections Brett Draxler and Drew Lynch. St. Thomas will also have a veteran laden team led by NCAA individual qualifier Alex Kapraun and fellow All-MIAC picks Alex Gabriel and Bennett Schroeder.

Concordia joins the Tommies with three All-MIAC returners, as Sam Christian, Coy Papachek and Landon Poss are all back for the Cobbers. Bethel returns a pair of All-Conference juniors in Dillon John and Davis Tollette. Augsburg and Carleton will each be led by an All-MIAC returnee as well, as Brandon Jones is back for the Auggies and Ned Rohrbach returns for the Knights. Brett Gaustad is also back in the Augsburg lineup, and Brian Herlihy will team up with Rohrbach to lead Carleton.

Gustavus graduated a lot of talent, and will turn to juniors Andrew Brandt and Sam Peterson to lead the way in 2014-15. Macalester is poised to take a step forward this season with its top two players - Joshua Wingardner and Dan Shi - both back at the top of the lineup. Rookie coach Johnson also has his top two players back in the Saint Mary's lineup as Blake Westerberg and Tim Wolford both return. St. Olaf also has an experienced, talented roster in 2014-15, as Charlie Johnson and J.R. Shimpach are back as the team's veteran leaders.

MORE TO COME
This year, the full MIAC preview with a conference outlook and team-by-team previews will be released in advance of the 2014 MIAC Golf Championships in an effort to promote the sport's marquee event. However, below are helpful links to track all the MIAC golf action this fall, including links to the 2014 fall schedules, championship home page and team pages for each MIAC squad.