KANSAS CITY, Mo. – McKendree University women's golf concluded its outstanding 2021-22 season here Wednesday with a 14th place finish at the NCAA Division II East Regional Championship held at Shoal Creek Golf Club.
The Bearcats, who were playing in its first-ever NCAA Women's Golf Tournament as a team in school history, posted a final round score of 327 to finish the three-day, 54-hole tournament with a 986 on the par-71, 5,865-yard Shoal Creek course. Along with shooting a 327 in Wednesday's final round, the Bearcats also shot a 332 in the first round and 327 in the second round.
Seventh-ranked Findlay, who is the top-seeded team in the East Regional, took home the regional title after carding a 54-hole total of 21-over par 873 to win the title by 27 shots over runner-up University of Indianapolis, who carded a 54-hole total of 900. Tiffin finished third with a 916 for 54 holes, while the other teams that qualified for the 2022 NCAA National Championships on May 10-14 at Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainesville, Ga., were Grand Valley State and UMSL, who shot 54-hole team scores of 921 and 924.
Leading the way for the Bearcats was freshman
Imogen Rafferty (Derbyshire, England/Trent College) had the best round of the tournament for the Bearcats in Wednesday's final round as she shot a 78 to finish in a tie for 48th place with a 244 for 54 holes.
Findlay had the top two individual finishers as Mary Kelly Mulcahy and Jill Schmitmeyer each shot 54-hole total scores of 1-over par 214 to tie for first palce, but Mulcahy won medalist honors in a playoff over Schmitmeyer. Mulchay shot a final round of 2-under par in the final round, while Schmitmeyer shot a 1-over par 72 in the final round.
In addition to Rafferty, senior
Madeline Larouere (O'Fallon, Ill./Liberty) was the No. 2 finisher for the Bearcats as she shot a 54-hole total of 248 to finish in 55th place overall. Larouere shot a final round 83, after carding a 84 in the first round and an 81 in the second round. Rafferty was one of two Bearcats to improve their score each round of the event.
The next finisher for the Bearcats was senior
Paige Hamel (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) as she shot a 249 for the 54 holes to finish in a tie for 56th place. Hamel, like Rafferty, improved her score each round as she opened with an 88, before shooting an 81 in the second round and then carding a final round 80.
Sophomore
Martina Hicks (Coeur D'Alene, Id./Coeur D'Alene) was the fourth finisher for the Bearcats as she shot a 251 for 54 holes to finish in a tie for 61st place. Hicks shot a final round score of 87 after carding rounds of 81 and 83 respectively in the first two rounds.
The fifth and final golfer for the Bearcats was senior
Brooke Boatman (Troy, Ill./O'Fallon Township) as she shot an 86 in the final round to push into a finish for 71st place after carding a 258 for 54 holes. Boatman also fired rounds of 83 and 89 respectively in the first two rounds of action.
Despite the 14th place finish at the NCAA East Regional, the Bearcats closed the 2022 season with two event titles and placed no lower than fourth in any of its 10 regular season events and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
