MIAC Championships Live Scoring
Video preview by Josiah Burns '12
Carleton College enters the 2009 MIAC Championships in the midst of its most successful fall campaign in program history. The Knights have posted a 335.0 team average, more than 15 shots less than last season’s school record team average, and have notched a trio of top-five finishes this fall. This year the MIAC Championships will have live scoring updates throughout the tournament.
The Knights have been led this season by the consistent play of first-year player Hope Keaney (San Anselmo, Calif./Marin Catholic), who ranks fifth in the conference with an 81.5 stroke average. She’s been Carleton’s top finisher in each of the first three events this fall. Her performance has helped offset the loss of two-time All-MIAC performer Katrina Wood ’09, who tied for second at last year’s conference championships.
Laura Knutson (Jr./Edina, Minn.) also tied for second at last year’s conference tournament to earn All-MIAC honors, and the Knights will need her to step up if they are to repeat last year’s top-three finish. She ranks in the conference’s top 20 in stroke average at 84.5.
The surprise for the Knights this fall has been the play of junior Louise Buckler (Blaine, Minn./St. Paul Academy) and sophomore Traci Johnson (Lakeville, Minn./North). Buckler has shaved almost nine full shots off her stroke average from a year ago and enters the final weeks of the season second on the team with an 84.0 stroke average. Traci Johnson, meanwhile, has trimmed nearly 10 full shots off her rookie season average and stands at 85.0 for the season. She’s fired six straight rounds under 90 after doing it only twice in 22 rounds a season ago.
“We’ve had an extremely rewarding fall,” Carleton head coach Eric Sieger said. “We’ve outpaced my expectations, and hopefully we can continue that trend at the MIAC Championships.”
Sieger says defending champion Gustavus Adolphus is the team to beat, but four other teams are waiting right behind the Gusties.
“I think Gustavus is the cream of the crop, but it’s a strong crop behind them,” he said. Sieger notes that no less than five MIAC teams rank in the top 32 in the first NCAA/Golfstat ratings. The next-best conference has only three teams in the top 32. “Gustavus is going to be hard to beat, but to finish in the top three we’ll have to play really smart, solid golf all three days.”
