Murray State University Athletics
Hedley Takes Medalist Honors At Big River Telephone Lady Racer Classic
4/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Senior Cuyler Hedley fired a final round 75 to earn a five-shot victory and lead the Murray State women's golf team at the 2004 Big River Telephone Company Lady Racer Classic today at the 6,017-yard, par-72 Frances E. Miller Memorial Golf Course in Murray, Ky.
Hedley, a native of Cobourg, Ontario, finished with a 71 - 79 - 75 = 225 while firing the low round of the three-round tourney with her 1-under-par 71 in the first round of play on Monday morning. The 2002 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year finished five shots in front of Kentucky's Ali Kicklighter, who fired a 76 - 75 - 79 = 230 to earn second-place in the field of 68 golfers.
"Right now, Cuyler's playing the best golf I've ever seen her play," said 11th-year head coach Velvet Milkman. "She's worked so hard to get to this point, and it's good to see all that hard work pay off with some great golf."
Overall, MSU was edged out for the team title by just one stroke by Kentucky as the Lady Racers finished with a 305 - 312 - 308 = 926 to UK's 310 - 303 - 312 = 925. East Tennessee State was a distant third at 321 - 320 - 321 = 962, while OVC foe Eastern Kentucky earned fourth in the 13-team tourney with a 338 - 319 - 327 = 984. MSU's "Gold" squad finished in a tie for seventh after firing a 331 - 337 - 338 = 1006, just four shots behind OVC member Austin Peay in sixth with a 1002.
"I thought it was a good tournament for our team and for our program as a whole," said Milkman. "It's disappointing to get beat by just one shot, but I'm pleased with the way we stepped up and competed. To put up the low round of the day in the final round is a real positive for us, and we needed that going into the OVC Tournament.
"I feel like it's a great sign that we were able to be in contention and really hold it together the way we did. Even though we just missed winning, I was still very pleased with the way we handled everything."
MSU junior Santie Koch finished in a tie for third with a 77 - 75 - 79 = 231, while freshman Christi Baron led the MSU "Gold" squad with a strong sixth-place finish after shooting a 74 - 84 - 76 = 234. Junior Ashley Kelbough earned a tie for seventh after an 80 - 79 - 77 = 236, and senior Nikki Orazine was the fifth Lady Racer to finish in the top-15 with an 80 - 81 - 78 = 239 for a 15th-place tie.
The Lady Racers, winners of the last two Ohio Valley Conference titles, will next compete in the EKU Lady Colonel Classic on April 15-17 in Richmond, Ky., in their final prep for the upcoming OVC Championships on April 26-28 at the Country Club of Paducah (Ky.).
