Higginson Repeats as IWU Women's Golf "MVP"

For the second straight season, senior Ashley Higginson has been chosen as the "Most Valuable Player" for the Illinois Wesleyan women's golf team.
Higginson (Pekin HS) had a stroke average of 84.3 in 26 rounds with four top 10 finishes and three other top 10 finishes. Her low round of the year was a first-day 75 at the IWU Fall Classic in September at Normal's Ironwood Golf Course.
Sophomore Taylor Paskell (Phoenix, Ariz., Desert Vista HS) was the leading scorer for IWU in 2005-06, playing in 23 rounds with an 82.1 stroke average. She finished seventh individually in the NCAA Division III national championships, the lowest ever for a Titan player, as IWU finished sixth as a team.
IWU won its fourth straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship, as junior Andrea Johanns (Farmer City, Blue Ridge HS) was the tournament medalist, senior Megan Teschner (Barrington HS) was second and junior Alison Mayer (Glenview, Glenbrook South HS) tied for fourth. The Titans tied Carthage for the most team titles since the CCIW began sponsoring a women's golf championship in 1996.
IWU head coach Kathy Niepagen, who repeated as CCIW "Coach of the Year" and was the National Golf Coaches Association Region III "Coach of the Year", awarded letters to 10 players. They are, with hometowns and high schools:

SENIORS – Ashley Higginson (Pekin HS), Megan Teschner (Barrington HS).
JUNIORS – Andrea Johanns (Farmer City, Blue Ridge HS), Alison Mayer (Glenview, Glenbrook South HS), Bridget Schott (Sterling HS).
SOPHOMORES – Kristi Katz (Park Ridge, Maine South HS), Taylor Paskell (Phoenix, Ariz., Desert Vista HS), Abby Patten (Dwight HS).
FRESHMEN - Madeline Murphy (Wayne, St. Francis HS), Nicole Spear (Naperville, Central HS).

May 25, 2006; contact Stew Salowitz, salowitz@iwu.edu