BLANCO, Texas -- Trailing by a shot entering the final round, the Trinity University took control early and held on late as the Tigers picked up the program's first title since 2017 Tuesday afternoon at Vaaler Creek Golf Club in Blanco, Texas. Official Championship Website | Results | Day Two Photo Gallery | Interview with Trinity Head Coach Carla Spenkoch | Inteview with Trinity's Raquel Hill | Interview with Southwestern's Madison Goldberg
The 13th-ranked Tigers placed three golfers in the top five in posting team scores of 320 and 325 for a 645 (+69), eight shots clear of second-place Southwestern University. The Tigers were led by junior Raquel Hill who finished runner-up for medalist honors with a 155, including the low round of the day on Tuesday with a 75. A pair of first-year golfers followed Hill in the individual standings as Kiona Hsiu was a stroke behind at 156 (78-78) - good for third place - and Erin Flynn tied for fifth with a two-round score of 166.
Hill led the field in par three scoring (-1) and Hsiu led in par 5 scoring (-2), which included carding the only eagle of the tournament when she made three at the par 5 eighth hole on Tuesday.
Southwestern finished in second place with a team score of 653 (319-334). The 20th-ranked Pirates' Madison Goldberg earned medalist honors for the championships, firing rounds of 72 and 82 to finish at 154, one shot better than Hill. Goldberg's winning score ties for the fourth-lowest in a 36-hole championship in conference history. Her opening round 72 is tied for the lowest opening round in the history of a 36-hole championship (with Rhodes College's Emily Burch from the 2001 championship). The junior made the most of the course's par fours, shooting even par for the tournament, nine shots better than anyone else in the field. Her 21 pars were also tops (tied with St. Thomas' Juliana Hudman).
Goldberg is the second consecutive Southwestern golfer to earn medalist honors at the conference championships, following Emily Campbell's tournament-best performance in 2019 (no championship was played in 2020 due to COVID concerns). Overall, it marks the ninth time a Southwestern women's golfer has earned medalist honors at the SCAC championships - the most by any program in league history.
Rounding out the team standings, University of St. Thomas, participating in its first-ever SCAC women's golf championship, finished in third after a two-day total of 680. Schreiner University placed fourth with a team score of 795, and Centenary College was fifth with a score of 833.
Joining Goldberg, Hill, Hsiu and Flynn on the All-SCAC First team was St. Thomas' Hudman, a first-year golfer, and senior Katelyn Smith of Schriener.
Since the SCAC doesn't have an automatic bid, conference teams and individuals will await word of at-large selections when the NCAA makes that announcement on Monday, May 3rd.
2021 All-SCAC Women's Golf First Team
1. Madison Goldberg, Southwestern - 72-82--154
2. Raquel Hill, Trinity - 80-75--155
3. Kiona Hsiu, Trinity - 78-78--156
4. Juliana Hudman, St. Thomas - 80-82--162
T5. Erin Flynn, Trinity - 79-87--166
T5. Katelyn Smith, Schreiner - 83-83--166
2021 All-SCAC Women's Golf Second Team
T7. Madison Miller, Southwestern - 84-83--167
T7. Ryleigh Erickson, Southwestern - 82-85--167
T9. Linsey Garza, Southwestern - 87-84--171
T9. Trinity Le, St. Thomas - 86-85--171
T9. Katherine Montgomery, Southwestern - 81-90--171
2021 All-SCAC Women's Golf Honorable Mention
T14. Caterina Mora Adrover, Trinity - 83-91--174
2021 SCAC Women's Golf Tournament Medalist
Madison Goldberg, Southwestern University
For a complete wrap-up of today's final round, including interviews with the winners and a Day Two photo gallery, click here for the official website of the 2021 SCAC Women's Golf Championship.
