EDINBURGH, In. — The Mississippi University for Women men’s golf team won its second-consecutive St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team championship, finishing Tuesday with a -11 final tally and scoring a 14-shot lead over 2nd-place Lake Forest.
With the win, the Owls have qualified for the NCAA Division III championships for the second year in a row.
On the individual leaderboard, all five Owls golfers finished in the Top 20. Matt Wilkinson finished atop the standings with a -6 performance, overtaking teammate Zach Riley, who finished in a tie for 2nd. Luke Yocum wasn’t far behind in 5th with a -2 score while Spence Davis, 11th, and Cameron James, 18th, rounded out the impressive team performance.
Photo courtesy of MUW Athletics
“Most of our roster has been together for several years, and we’ve taken the approach that this is our proverbial ‘last ride’ together,” head coach Benji Williams said on Tuesday after the win. “I think you saw that our lineup has some punch and also plays within itself. We got out to a big lead on the field after Day 1, withstood the charge on Day 2, and just took care of our own business on Day 3.”
On top of the championship, Wilkinson was named SLIAC Player of the Year, and joined Riley and Yocum with 1st team All-SLIAC honors. Davis picked up 2nd team honors, and Williams was named Coach of the Year.
All five team members representing the W at the tournament were involved in the team win last season, which saw Wilkinson and Riley both finish in the Top 5. This year the margin of victory was much greater, demonstrating the experience and expertise of the group.
“We got great contributions from each player, which supports the fact that we have developed a ‘program’ and not just a team,” Williams added. “Any player we have out there is capable of leading us at any time.”
The result makes it two SLIAC championships and two NCAA DIII championship appearances in two years as a DIII program, a credit to the work of Williams and the seasoned veterans in the squad. The team has two weeks to prepare for the tournament, but in a sense they’ve been preparing since their trip to the tournament last year.
“I feel we learned a lot about what it takes to compete at the higher level last season, especially the mentality you need to approach such a strong field from top to bottom,” Williams said of last year’s NCAA appearance. “I think last year we got a taste of being at the NCAA (Division) III championships, and this year we are heading in hungry for more.”
The Owls will travel to Penfield, N.Y. for the DIII championships beginning May 20.
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