LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. – Freshman Danielle Lemek tied for second and the Bradley women's golf posted its best conference finish since 2007, tying for third at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship Tuesday at the par-72 Club at Porto Cima.
Bradley battled cold and rainy conditions during Tuesday's final round to card the second-lowest round of the day, behind team champion Illinois State's third-round 327 with a 337 to tie for third. The Braves finished five shots behind the Redbirds in a tie for third with Southern Illinois at 982. Illinois State claimed the team title with a 977, while Wichita State was second in the team standings two shots out of the lead at 980.
Lemek tied for second in the field with a 54-hole total of 238 to finish five shots behind individual medalist Katie Jean of Illinois State (233). Her final round 80 helped Lemek break Breanne Neufeld's 2010-11 school season stroke average record of 75.76, as she finished her rookie campaign with a team-best 75.42 average. Lemek is the fifth Bradley freshman to earn All-Missouri Valley Conference recognition and also took home MVC Newcomer of the Year honors after tying for second in the field for the highest individual conference finish by a Bradley individual since Bari Erais won medalist at the MVC Championship in 2007.
In addition to Lemek's honors, Bradley head coach Mary Swanson was named the MVC Coach of the Year. Swanson is the first Valley head coach not from the MVC champion to win Coach of the Year honors in 10 years and her award marked the third time Bradley has boasted the MVC Coach of the Year in women's golf.
Sophomore Christie Lin came up just short of her bid for All-MVC honors, shooting an 87 Tuesday to tie for ninth for the second consecutive year. Lin earned her third top-10 finish of the year, finishing six shots back of Lemek at 244.
Last year's MVC Newcomer of the Year, Thea Hedemann, matched her second round score with an 85 on the final day to tie for 15th in the field with a total of 248 and freshman Allison Walsh closed out play two shots out of the top 18 in 23rd. Walsh posted a three-round score of 252 after matching Hedemann's 85 Tuesday. Freshman Jenna Roadley rounded out the team scoring for the Braves with a final round 89.
Bradley and Southern Illinois finished two shots better than pre-championship favorite and tournament host Missouri State, which finished fifth at 984 to round out the top half of the field. Indiana State took sixth with a score of 1,008, while Creighton and Northern Iowa tied for seventh (1,038). Evansville was ninth (1,044), five shots better than 10th-place Drake (1,049).
