WPU to Play with Milligan, Morningside in Opening Rounds of Nationals
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen women’s golf team will battle with one unknown crew and one very well-known squad as the pairings for the 24th NAIA National Championships were announced Friday.
William Penn, which enters the Championships 16th in the NAIA, is making its fifth-straight nationals appearance. The event will be held Tuesday-Friday, May 22-25 at PGA National Golf Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
For the first two rounds, the Statesmen will be paired with #21 Milligan (Tenn.) and #33 Morningside. The trio will begin the Championships on Tuesday by teeing off on Hole #1 at 11 a.m. (Central); they then return to action Wednesday at 6:15 a.m. (Central) beginning on Hole #10.
William Penn has not faced Milligan this year, but has been in three competitions against Morningside in 2017-2018. Unfortunately, WPU has been bested by the Mustangs in all three events.
William Penn, which won this week’s Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships, owns a current team average of 314.8 over 20 rounds with a school-record low of 298. Elise Warne (Jr., Melbourne, Australia, Exercise Science) is guiding the crew with a GolfStat adjusted scoring average of 79.2 to rank 88th. Megan Rhoads (Jr., Schertz, Texas, Psychology) also has an average of 79.2 and ranks 91st. Helene Larsen (Jr., Viborg, Denmark, Business Management) is in GolfStat’s top 150 as well, sitting at 108th at 79.7.
The Statesmen won six tournaments this regular season.
Milligan, which is a member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference, earned one of the 11 at-large bids to nationals. Sarah Son is ranked 39th in GolfStat at 77.3, while Megan Gaylor is 69th at 78.9. The Buffaloes won three tournament crowns this year.
Morningside won the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament to receive its nationals berth. Samantha Knight is 121st in GolfStat with an adjusted average of 79.1, while Maria Zorrilla is 126th at 79.5. The Mustangs collected six tournament crowns in 2017-2018.
