Wartburg Wins 2011 IIAC Women's Golf Title; Central's Paulson Earns Medalist Honors, Named League MVP

By Joshua Schroeder, Iowa Conference

STORM LAKE, Iowa -- Central College senior Sarah Paulson fired an even-par 36 on the front nine en route to a final round 78 and medalist honors at the 2011 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Women's Golf Championship Saturday at Lake Creek Country Club.

The 78 by Paulson, who also captured medalist honors in 2008 and 2009, was the low round of the day. She finished with a 72-hole total of 75-72-87-78--312 to win by 12 strokes.

Wartburg teammates Paige Klostermann and Kelsi Sawatzky finished second and third, respectively. Klostermann, a fifth-place finisher a year ago, finished at 78-75-86-85--324, while Sawatzky, the 2010 medalist, posted a four-round total of 79-77-87-85--328. Buena Vista's Kylie Hammer (79-82-90-81--332) took fourth after placing seventh in 2010. Simpson teammates Stacy Bergeson (87-85-80-84--336) and Jennifer Gaffney (82-85-90-80--337) finished fifth and sixth, while Luther's Annika Ring (83-86-84-86--339) took seventh over Loras' Abby Potts (79-81-92-87--339) due to a cardback tiebreaker. Wartburg's Morgan McMillan (79-82-95-85--341) and Luther's Becca Rudquist (84-85-89-85--343) rounded out the top 10.

Behind Klosterman, Sawatzky and McMillan, Wartburg captured the team title for the fifth consecutive season and for the seventh time overall. The Knights posted a 340 total Saturday to finish at 319-320-357-340--1,336 to outdistance Central (320-327-360-360--1,367) by 31 strokes. Luther, which posted the low team round of 338 Saturday took third with a 343-336-360-338--1,377.

Wartburg coach Monica Severson was named Iowa Conference Women's Golf Coach of the Year for the third time in four years.

By winning the Iowa Conference Championship, the Knights have earned the IIAC's automatic berth to the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship next May in Angola, Ind.


Iowa Conference Women's Golf Championship
At Storm Lake
(Lake Creek C.C., par 72)
FINAL RESULTS
Teams - 1. Wartburg, 1336; 2. Central, 1367; 3. Luther, 1377; 4. Simpson, 1390; 5. Loras, 1440; 6. Buena Vista, 1447; 7. Coe, 1494; 8. Dubuque, 1576; 9. Cornell, 1605.

All-Conference (Top 10) - 1. Sarah Paulson (CEN), 312; 2. Paige Klostermann (WAR), 324; 3. Kelsi Sawatzky (WAR), 328; 4. 4. Kylie Hammer (BVU), 332; 5. Stacy Bergeson (SIM), 336; 6. Jennifer Gaffney (SIM), 337; 7. Annika Ring (LUT), 339*; 8. Abby Potts (LOR), 339; 9. Morgan McMillan (WAR), 341; 10. Becca Rudquist (LUT), 343.

WARTBURG (1336): 2. Klostermann, 324; 3. Sawatzky, 328; 9. McMillan, 341. t14. Amy Kobliska, 350; t14. Alyssa Noble, 350.
CENTRAL (1367): 1. Paulson, 312; t11. Ali Miller, 347; 16. Ashley Smith, 353; 18. Kaurie Kincaid, 358; t25. Kelsey Van Tasell, 372.
LUTHER (1377): t7. Ring, 339; 10. Rudquist, 343; t11. Kate Traxler, 347; 13. Laura Davis, 348.
SIMPSON (1390): 5. Bergeson, 336; 6. Gaffney, 337; 17. Taylor Hillery, 355; t23. Molly Hill, 371; 33. Jenni Stumpf, 383.
LORAS (1440): t7. Potts, 339; 20. Kathryn Belanger, 362; t25. Lauren Gonner, 372; t30. Shayna Siegert, 378; 32. Christina Jackson, 379.
BUENA VISTA (1447): 4. Hammer, 332; 21. Kylie Woodley, 367; t23. Lauren Doherty, 371; 29. Arrinda Abbuhl, 377; 40. Kassie King, 437.
COE (1494): 22. Chelsea Crain, 370; 27. Amber Suhr, 373; 28. Erin Rowan, 374; 35. Kayla Koschmeder, 387; 36. Jehri Wagner, 388.
DUBUQUE (1576): 19. Alex Hoye, 359; 34. Lauren Smith, 385; 41. Tia Fuhr, 445; 42. Nikole Blewett, 446.
CORNELL (1605): t30. Na Ra Pak, 378; 37. Amanda Houts, 398; 38. Cloey Goedken, 405; 39. Nicole Thompson, 425.