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Racers Win 9th OVC Women's Golf Title

Racers Win 9th OVC Women's Golf Title
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By MSU Athletics
Apr. 23, 2014 | MUSCLE SHOALS, AL
By MSU Athletics Apr. 23, 2014 | 08:59 PM | MUSCLE SHOALS, AL
The Murray State Racers won their ninth Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Golf Championship Wednesday with final round 310 that erased a six-shot deficit heading into the final round in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Not only did the Racers have the guts and determination to prevail on the final day, they also overcame a 12-shot deficit after round one on Monday.

With the championship on the line, lone senior Delaney Howson hit a 5-iron to 12 feet on the 185-yard par-3 18th. Her resulting birdie putt sealed a two-shot win for the Racers and the OVC’s automatic spot in the NCAA Championships.

“I’m so proud of our team and the way they stayed with it this week,” said Milkman who now has nine matching OVC Coach of the Year awards. “We were down by 12 shots after the first round, but they never quit and kept on giving their best on every shot. This means a lot on many levels, and especially to send Delaney out as a champion.”

The win keeps an amazing streak alive for Milkman, MSU’s only coach who started the program 21 years ago. Every class that has come through the Racer Golf program has won at least one OVC championship.

“That streak was in jeopardy this week,” said Milkman. “And to have our senior step up and hit a shot like that to 18 and then make the putt, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Howson fired rounds of 71-68-73=212 for an OVC record 13-shot win for medalist honor. She was also named OVC Player of the Year. Howson’s 4-under-par 68 in round two was a tournament record. Her 212 set the OVC record for 54 holes surpassing the 218 by Morehead State’s Emma Jonsson in 2011.

“I’m so happy right now, I don’t know what to say,” said an elated Howson. “I wanted this so much for Coach and my team and to be here right now as champions, this is great!”

Freshman Sydney Trimble was named to the OVC All-Tournament Team when she placed fifth after scores of 76-73-80=229.

Abbi Stamper birdied 3-of-4 starting at the 10th hole and came home with 75. Her scores for the event of 80-78-75=233 landed a spot in 11th place. Jackie Van Meter placed 29th with scores of 85-79-82=246, while Sophie Hiller placed 35th with scores of 80-84-86=250. Hillier saved the Racers shots in round one.

At the end of the day, the Racers carded scores of 307-298-310=915, two shots ahead of defending champ Eastern Kentucky at 295-304-318=917. Jacksonville State placed third with rounds of 298-308-317=923, with Morehead State 310-310-307=927 and Tennessee Tech 313-301-320=934 rounding out the top-5.

With the victory, Murray State earned the OVC's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. The 2014 field will be announced on Monday, April 28 on the Golf Channels’s Golf Central program that airs from 5-6 p.m. CT. The NCAA Regionals will be held May 8-10 and take place in Tallahassee, Fla. (East Regional), Stillwater, Okla. (Central Regional) and Cle Elum, Wash. (West Regional). Following the Regionals the National Championship will be held May 20-23 at the Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. This will be MSU’s third NCAA appearance after making back-to-back trips in 2009 and 2010.

The Racers win the OVC for the first time at The Shoals and for the first time since 2010.

Howson is MSU’s first OVC medalist since Nikki Orazine in 2004. Howson has four individual titles in the 2013-14 season and the Racers have three.

The Fighting Joe Course at The Shoals played 6,203 yards and to a par-72 this week for the OVC Women’s Championship.

The OVC Men’s Championship begins here Friday at The Shoals and runs through Sunday.

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