Women’s golf team wins qualifying tournament to earn automatic bid to NCAA DIII national championships

MARSHALL, Mich. – The Olivet College women's golf team has won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's (MIAA) qualifying tournament to earn the league's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA DIII National Championships, which will take place May 13-16 at the Mission Inn Resort and El Campeon Golf Course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

In today's third and final round at The Medalist Golf Club in Marshall, the Comets posted a 331 team score to beat runner-up Saint Mary's (Ind.) College by 18 strokes. Calvin College was third at 354, followed by Trine (Ind.) University at 362.

Senior Adrienne Plourde (Livonia/Redford Thurston) earned medalist honors with a five-over par 77. Senior Theresa Damico (White Lake/Lakeland) shared second-place in the player standings with Calvin's Carlia Canto with 81s. Sophomore Brooke Kastamo (Hartland) carded an 86 to place sixth. Sophomore Casey Lamp (Kalamazoo/Hackett Catholic) tied for seventh-place with an 87. Senior Ashley Stark (Grass Lake) completed her round in 90 strokes.

Overall, Olivet had a three-round total of 972 strokes over the three NCAA qualifying rounds. Saint Mary's was a distant second at 1,022, followed by Trine at 1,068 and Calvin at 1,092.

The Comets will compete at the national championships for a second straight year and the seventh time in the last eight years. Olivet's best finish was in 2007 when it finished ninth. Those championships were also held at the Mission Inn Resort.