Women's Golf finishes tied for third at MVC Championships - Southern Illinois University Official Athletic Site

Women's Golf finishes tied for third at MVC Championships

Alisha Matthews sets conference record, ties school record for lowest round of 18 holes with a 67 in final round.

Senior Margaret Gilley closed out her Saluki career garnering a spot on the All-Conference team.

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HEADLINES

Rushing, Rennegarbe earn spots on MVC Scholar-Athlete Team

Salukis finish MVC Championship tied for third

SIU one stroke back entering final round of MVC Championship

April 24, 2012

Complete Results

By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com

Final Results

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Alisha Matthews capped off her collegiate career as she shot five-under-par in the final round, helping the Southern Illinois women's golf team to a tied for third place finish at the MVC Championships Tuesday.

Matthews pulled out the round best round of her career at the Club of Terre Haute as she set an MVC Championship record for lowest score in 18 holes with a 67 to help her finish tied for third. SIU's Braidy Hood set the previous record low when she shot a 68 back in 2007.

It also ties her for the lowest round of 18 holes at SIU with Hood, who also shot a 67 at the Saluki Invitational in 2008. Matthew's previous best round was a 71 that she carded twice in her career,including this season at the Redbird Invitational.

Matthews, a senior from St. Louis, finished the front nine three-under-par and birdied seven holes in her final collegiate round. She was one of three Salukis to garner All-Conference honors as Cassie Rushing and Margaret Gilley also earned spots on the team.

As a team, the Salukis shot a season-low round for 18 holes with a 296 in the final round and finished with a 916 to tie with Northern Iowa. The Dawgs did not finish lower than third place in any of their six spring tournaments.

"We put up a good fight and shot our season low and I couldn't be happier with the effort we put forth," SIU head coach Alexis Mihelich said. "I said all year that we could shoot sub 300 and to shoot that in the final round with all that pressure was a job well done."

SIU had not shot under 300 in the 2011-12 season prior to Wednesdays' final round when they shot a 296, which was second-lowest round of the day behind Illinois State's 294.

Favorite Missouri State claimed the team title finishing six strokes ahead of SIU with a 910 and Illinois State jumped from fourth to second in the final round.

Cassie Rushing led things for Southern Illinois despite Matthews' final round. She finished second with a career-best three round score of 222. She closed out play with a 74 in the final round. Illinois State's Katie Jean edged out Rushing by two strokes for medalist honors.

Ashleigh Rushing finished tied for 20th with a score of 234 (76-81-77) and Shaina Rennegarbe tied for 25th with a 237.

Also playing in her final collegiate round, Margaret Gilley rounded out the Salukis lineup with a tied for 40th carding a 251 (84-89-78).

Southern Illinois (313-307-296) 916

2. Cassie Rushing (75-73-74) 222

T3. Alisha Matthews (82-74-67) 224

20. Ashleigh Rushing (76-81-77) 234

T25. Shaina Rennegarbe (80-79-78) 237

40. Margaret Gilley (84-89-78) 251

Team Scores

1. Missouri State (300-313-297) 910

2. Illinois State (305-314-294) 913

T3. Southern Illinois (313-307-296) 916

T3. Northern Iowa (299-311-306) 916

5. Bradley (305-307-306) 918

6. Wichita State (311-322-300) 933

7. Indiana State (313-320-310) 943

8. Drake (323-341-317) 981

9. Evansville (327-330-326) 983

10. Creighton (337-337-318) 992

2012 MVC All-Conference Team

Brittany Atterbury, UNI

Brianna Cooper, Illinois State

Catherine Dolan, Missouri State

Margaret Gilley, Southern Illinois

Thea Hedemann, Bradley

Gretchen Huhnerkoch, Wichita State

Katie Jean, Illinois State

Alisha Matthews, Southern Illinois

Cassie Rushing, Southern Illinois

Kelsey Welber, Missouri State