April 26, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Junior Ashley Higginson has been named "Most Valuable Player" for the Illinois Wesleyan University women's golf team.
Higginson (Pekin HS) has a team best 83.61 scoring average in 18 rounds with a season low round of 75 in winning last fall’s Augustana Invitational, one of her four top 10 individual finishes.
Higginson’s two-day score of 165 was second to teammate medalist Taylor Paskell (Phoenix, Ariz., Desert Vista HS) in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament, won for the third straight season by IWU.
Paskell, a freshman, also had four top 10 finishes and has an 83.66 scoring average in 18 rounds in 2004-05 and had the team’s low round of the year when she fired a 74 in the IWU Fall Invitational on Sept. 19 at Normal’s Ironwood Golf Course.
Sophomore Andrea Johanns (Farmer City, Blue Ridge HS) also had an 83.66 scoring average with five top 10 finishes, including a third place finish in the Sept. 10 Knox Invitational. Her season-low round was a 78 in the IWU Spring Fling at Ironwood on April 16.
As a team, IWU finished first in four events, including the CCIW meet, the Knox Invitational (Sept. 10), Carthage Invitational (Sept. 24) and St. Francis Spring Invitational (April 9).
The Titans’ season may not be over - IWU finds out Monday, May 2, whether they have been selected to play in the NCAA Division III national championships, which are May 10-13 hosted by Methodist College at MidPines Resort in Southern Pines, N.C.
IWU finished sixth in the national tourney in 2000 and 10th in 2002.
Head coach Kathy Niepagen awarded letters to eight players, all of whom return next season. They are, with hometowns and high schools:
JUNIORS – Ashley Higginson (Pekin HS), Megan Teschner (Barrington HS).
SOPHOMORES – Andrea Johanns (Farmer City, Blue Ridge HS), Alison Mayer (Glenview, Glenbrook South HS), Allison Schmale (St. Libory, Freeburg HS), Bridget Schott (Sterling HS).
FRESHMEN – Kristi Katz (Park Ridge, Maine South HS), Taylor Paskell (Phoenix, Ariz., Desert Vista HS).
