Murray State University Athletics
Racers Prep For OVC Women's Golf Championship
4/21/2010 4:34:00 PM | Women's Golf
The Murray State women's golf team begins play in the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Championship Thursday at GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson, Tenn.
The OVC women's championship will be a 54-hole event with one round each played Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the 6,049-yard, par-72 course. The first tee time Thursday is at 8:30 a.m.
Murray State is the defending champion in the OVC after they won their seventh title in 2009 at Crooked Creek Golf Course in London, Ky.
Murray State head coach Velvet Milkman was named OVC Coach of the Year after her squad led from start to finish.
"Definitely, having the experience of being in the hunt last year will be a big plus for our team going into the 2010 tournament," she said. "This is always a very competitive tournament and I expect this year to be no different."
Eight teams go for the OVC title including Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Morehead State, Murray State, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.
A Look At Murray State
The Racers enter the OVC Championship having some good finishes in the nine events they've competed in since last Sept.
MSU won twice this season in events they hosted starting with the season-opening Drake Creek Invitational Sept. 14 with their best 54-hole total of 907. They also won the NewWave Communications Classic March 2 with a 36-hole 638.
The Racers turned in top-5 finishes at the Cincinnati Fall Classic (Sept. 28), Lady Red Wolf Classic (Oct. 13), Saluki Invitational (March 29) and EKU Lady Colonel Classic (April 11).
MSU is led by a senior trio of Andrea Downer, Megan McKinney and Joyce Trus.
Entering the OVC Tournament, Trus leads the team with a 76.4 scoring average which ranks her third in the OVC, while Downer is eighth in the OVC at 78.1. McKinney is 18th in the league at 79.5. The Racers also rely on sophomore Morgan Cross (80.0) and junior Caroline Lagerborg (81.2).
The GreyStone Challenge
This will be the first time the OVC has contested the championship at this course.
GreyStone, which opened in 1998 was designed by PGA Tour pro Mark McCumber and is a short drive from Nashville, Tenn., on Interstate-40 west.
GreyStone Golf Club is a public course that has hosted many high profile events including: 2002 PGA Tour First-round qualifying, Men and Women's Tennessee State Open from 1999-2003, 2000 PGA Tour first-round qualifying, Monday qualifying for BellSouth Senior PGA Tour, and 2004 first stage of PGA Tour School Qualifying.
Sizing Up The Field
Jacksonville State leads the OVC with a team stroke average of 310.5, while Morehead State is second at 311.2. The Racers are third at 313.2. The Gamecocks have won four of the five OVC Championship that they have competed in since joining the conference. Murray State's seven championships are the most all-time.
Individually Morehead State freshman Marisa Kamelgarn is the stroke average leader in the league at 75.9.
OVC AwardsThe annual awards banquets will be held following the first round of play Thursday. The banquet honors the All-OVC first-team and second-team members as well as All-Newcomer Team and Freshman of the Year. The OVC Player of the Year, Coach of the Year as well as All-Tournament and Tournament MVP awards will be presented at the conclusion of the championship
