Miller Leads Bethel Women to School's First MIAC Title

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  BECKER, Minn. – Combining for a tournament-low team score of 308 on the final day of the 2019 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship at Pebble Creek Golf Club, Bethel University earned a two-stroke victory to claim the first conference championship in school history.
 
Entering the day five strokes behind St. Catherine University, the Royals received a late surge from sophomore Ana Schwarz with back-to-back birdies late in the round before junior Nicole Miller sealed the championship with a par on the final hole, giving Bethel an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship May 12-15 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
 
"It was one of those great moments today all day," said Bethel head coach Trent Anderson. "We said were not going to look at the score at all. We’re going to have our gals play their very best and their coaches believed in them. If we played free, live we've always said, our score will take care of itself. They played unbelievable at the end and I am just grateful for the nonstop effort."
 
Miller, from Eden Prairie, Minn., bookended her second-round 75 with two rounds of 77 to finish in second place at 13-over 229, nine shots back of medalist Alyssa Akiyama from Carleton College.
 
Anna Tollefson, a freshman from La Crescent, Minn., followed her round of 78 during the second round by carding a 2-over 74 during Monday’s final round to finish in fifth place, while her teammate Schwarz posted a 75 on the final day to finish in a tie for sixth place at 235.
 
 
 
2019 MIAC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
PEBBLE CREEK GOLF CLUB
BECKER, MINN.
5,873 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
MONDAY’S FINAL TEAM RESULTS
1. Bethel Univ., 315-318-308—941
2. St. Catherine Univ., 312-316-315—943
3. Carleton College, 327-324-313—964
4. St. Thomas, 319-330-316—965
5. St. Benedict, 323-331-321—975
6. Gustavus Adolphus, 332-335-328—995
7. St. Olaf, 345-338-319—1002
8. Concordia College, 343-351-350—1044
9. Augsburg College, 386-384-354—1124
10. St. Mary’s Univ., 390-400-380—1170
 
 
MONDAY’S FINAL INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Alyssa Akiyama, Carleton Coll., 73-73-74—220
2. Nicole Miller, Bethel, 77-75-77—229
3. Cayla Kim, St. Thomas, 74-80-77—231
4. Sydney Brown, St. Catherine Univ., 79-76-77—232
5. Anna Tollefson, Bethel, 82-78-74—234
T6. Erin Ericson, Gustavus Adolphus, 82-78-85—235
T6. Ana Schwarz, Bethel, 78-82-75—235
T8. Kate Taylor, St. Catherine, 79-82-76—237
T8. Kristin Miyagi, Carleton Coll., 81-79-77—237
10. Sydney Brandt, St. Catherine, 76-82-81—239
 
 
For complete tournament results go to:  http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=19789