Mid-American Conference Women's Golf Championships Explained

Mid-American Conference women's golf championships
Optional Subheader:Conference golf championship
Sport:Women's golf
Conference:Mid-American Conference
Number Of Teams:10
Years:1999–present
Most Recent:2024
Current Champion:Kent State
Most Championships:Kent State (25)
All Locations:Grove City, Ohio (2024)
Kalamazoo, Michigan (2023)
Holland, Ohio (2022)
Naperville, Illinois (2018)
Silver Lake, Ohio (2017, 2021)
Noblesville, Indiana (2016, 2019)
Lebanon, Ohio (2015)
Fishers, Indiana (2010, 2012, 2014)
Nashport, Ohio (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Indianapolis (2008)
Hamilton, Ohio (2000–2006)
Mason, Ohio (1999)

The Mid-American Conference women's golf championships is the conference championship tournament for women's golf in the Mid-American Conference, a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). All ten conference members qualify for the championship meet, which is held in three rounds. The winner of the championship receives a regional berth to the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships. The tournament began in 1999 and is rotated to different courses each year, with the various conference members acting as host. Through the 2024 championship, Kent State has won all 25 titles, a conference record for consecutive championships in any sport.[1] [2]

History and format

The championship was organized in 1999 after several conference members added women's golf as a varsity sport in the late 1990s. It is played in late April and consists of three rounds of stroke play held over three days with all ten conference members participating. The 2005 championship only had two rounds played instead of the originally scheduled three due to weather. Beginning in 2006, the format was changed to four rounds, with two rounds on the opening day, but was returned to three rounds in 2010. The inaugural championship, held at the Kings Island Golf Course in Mason, Ohio, consisted of seven teams: Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan. The total increased to eight in 2001 with the addition of Ball State and nine in 2003 with Marshall joining, but returned to eight for 2006 after Marshall left the MAC following the 2005 season. Akron began MAC play in 2009 and Central Michigan joined in 2015.

Since its debut, the championship has been held at multiple golf courses in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. After the inaugural championship at Kings Island, the championship moved to Walden Ponds Golf Club, just outside Hamilton, Ohio, where it was played from 2000 through 2006. Since 2006, the championship has been held at a different course each year, with some courses hosting multiple times. Longaberger Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio, has hosted four times: 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013, while Hawthorns Golf and Country Club in Fishers, Indiana, has hosted three times: 2010, 2012, and 2014. Other hosts include Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis for 2008, Shaker Run Golf Club in Lebanon, Ohio, for 2015, Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville, Indiana, in 2016 and 2019, Silver Lake Country Club in Silver Lake, Ohio, in 2017 and 2021, Naperville Country Club in Naperville, Illinois, in 2018, Stone Oak Country Club near near Holland, Ohio, in Springfield Township, Kalamazoo Country Club in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 2023, and Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio, in 2024.

Champions

By year

The following is a list of conference champions, individual medalists, and sites listed by year.[3]

1999 Golf Center at Kings Island Kent State Jan Dowling (Kent State)
2000 Walden Ponds Golf Club Kent State Jan Dowling (Kent State)
2001 Kent State Martina Gillen (Kent State)
2002 Kent State Martina Gillen (Kent State)
2003 Kent State Verionique Drouin (Kent State)
2004 Kent State Gabby Wedding (Kent State)
2005 Kent State Katie Sundberg (Ball State)
2006 Kent State Tara Delaney (Kent State)
2007 Longaberger Golf Club Kent State Kira Meixner (Kent State)
2008 Brickyard Course Kent State Kirby Dreher (Kent State)
2009 Longaberger Golf Club Nashport, Ohio Kent State Mercedes Germino (Kent State)
2010 Hawthorns Golf & Country Club Kent State Martina Gavier (Kent State)
2011 Longaberger Golf Club Nashport, Ohio Kent State Sarah Johnson (Eastern Michigan)
2012 Hawthorns Golf & Country Club Fishers, Indiana Kent State Piyathida Chaiyapan (Toledo)
Jenna Hague (Ball State)
2013 Longaberger Golf Club Nashport, Ohio Kent State Jennifer Ha (Kent State)
2014 Hawthorns Golf & Country Club Fishers, Indiana Kent State Jennifer Ha (Kent State)
2015 Shaker Run Golf Club Kent State Josee Doyon (Kent State)
2016 Purgatory Golf Club Kent State Danielle Nicholson (Akron)
2017 Silver Lake Country Club Kent State Michaela Finn (Kent State)
2018 Naperville Country Club Kent State Pimnipa Panthong (Kent State)
2019 Purgatory Golf Club Noblesville, Indiana Kent State Karoline Stormo (Kent State)
2020 Silver Lake Country Club Silver Lake, Ohio Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic
2021 Silver Lake Country Club Silver Lake, Ohio Kent State Caley McGinty (Kent State)
2022 Stone Oak Country Club Kent State Jasmine Ly (Northern Illinois)
2023 Kalamazoo Country Club Kent State Leon Takagi (Kent State)
2024 Pinnacle Golf Club Kent State Hester Sicking (Kent State)
Leon Takagi (Kent State)

By school

The following table lists all teams that have been part of the championship, the years they have participated, and the years the respective program has won the team championship.[3]

25 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
1999–present 0
1999–present 0
1999–present 0
1999–present 0
1999–present 0
1999–present 0
2001–present 0
2009–present 0
2015–present 0
2003–2005 0

Notes and References

  1. News: Kent State earns 18th straight MAC women's golf title . April 24, 2016 . . March 20, 2017.
  2. News: Kent State women's golf wins 19th straight Mid-American Conference title . Jenior, Susan . April 24, 2017 . . May 19, 2017.
  3. Book: Mid-American Conference Women's Golf Record Book . 2017 . . May 19, 2017 . 6 . PDF.