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May 11, 2010

ALTON, Ill. - The Marian University women's golf team came from five strokes down after the first day of the Unaffiliated Conference Tournament to win the UAC Tournament championship at Spencer T. Olin Community Golf Course in Alton, Ill., on Tuesday.

After the first 18 holes on Monday, the 20th-ranked Knights trailed 15th-ranked Bethel College by five strokes. The Pilots carded a 315 on the first day to the Knights' 320. However, the Knights had a team meeting just after the first round ended in the clubhouse.

The two seniors, Angela Gauck and Kristen Welker, and head coach Brett Cope came together and made a pact with junior Lauren Nickoson, sophomore Kailey Jacob and freshman Leah Miller to play as consistently as possible to put themselves in a position to win the championship and go to South Dakota as a team. Gauck and Cope have been to the national championship, but only as an individual competitor with her coach. This time everyone wanted more.

The determination was evident from the moment the team headed to the golf course on Tuesday. Gauck and Nickoson had steely, focused looks in their eyes and they were not about to let this opportunity slip. The five golfers did not let it slip one bit.

Gauck, who trailed by a stroke after the first round, opened up a three-shot lead over the first five holes and never looked back as she cruised to medalist honors with a tournament-low one-over-par second round 73. She shot a 77 on Monday and carded a tournament-best 150 over the 36 holes. By the end of the round, her one-shot deficit had turned into a six-shot lead and the eventual victory.

Nickoson showed that same focus as she went out quickly with a two-over-par 38 to open the final round before coming back in with a 41 for a 79 on Tuesday and a tournament total of 160.

Jacob was the model of consistency for the Knights and they needed it. She carded an 81 on day one and was not too thrilled with the performance. However, she carded a matching and extremely important 81, including a three-over-par 39 on the back nine, on Tuesday. The most important score was still to come.

Miller shot an 11-over-par 83 on Monday and was the low for the Knights on the first day. That all changed on Tuesday. She carded what head coach Brett Cope called "a solid 81" for the Knights. "As soon as she said she shot an 81 I knew we had won," said Cope immediately after the tournament ended. The Knights still had scores to come in, but Cope knew the deal was sealed. The Knights had earned their first-ever national tournament berth.

Welker finished the tournament with a 20th-place finish after carding a 169 (81-88). Her first round 81 put the Knights in contention and, until the late holes, was heading toward a strong round on the second day before finishing with an 88.

After all the scorecards were collected and strokes counted, the dream had become reality. Coach Cope was right: the Knights had earned their first-ever berth at the NAIA national tournament. They did so with a 36-hole school record of 634 and the second-lowest 18-hole score (314) in school history.

"I am really proud of these ladies," said Cope on the trip home. "They really have taught me a lot about myself as a coach and I am thrilled to say that. I am so happy that this group was able to get to the national tournament. I am just so proud."

Cope was named the Unaffiliated Conference Coach of the Year after leading his team to a No. 20 ranking in the NAIA Women's Golf Coaches National Top 25 and their first-ever conference championship and NAIA Women's Golf National Championships berth.

They will head to the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship on May 25-28 at Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rapid City, S.D.

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